Ahead last month's All-Ireland hurling final, there were rumours that Limerick forward Aaron Gillane had suffered an injury in the days before the clash with Kilkenny. That gossip did have some foundations.
"I didn't get a knock, but it was a funny story," said Gillane, speaking at the announcement Littlewoods Ireland has rebranded to Very.
"I was throwing around the frisbee out the front of my girlfriend's house on the Tuesday before the final, and there was a soccer ball in the yard.
"I thought it would just be my luck that I would fall over the soccer ball, so I went over to kick it out of the way. And whatever way I kicked the soccer ball, I hurt my knee. It was a random enough.
"It was nothing major, just a strained medial ligament."
17 July 2022; Aaron Gillane, Cian Lynch and his nephew Ché celebrate with the Liam MacCarthy Cup after the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Kilkenny and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Gillane said that he couldn't tell Limerick manager John Kiely that he'd possibly injured himself while playing with a frisbee.
"So I rang the physio (Mark Melbourne) straight away and said, 'Do whatever you want but don't tell John. I don't want him asking any questions, please,'" said Gillane.
"I just had to strap it up a small bit and away you go. I'd say I did a small bit myself with Mark on the Tuesday, and was back at training then on the Friday. I definitely wasn't worried about it myself, I was always going to be playing. It was never in doubt."
A player who did miss the game through injury was Gillane's Patrickswell teammate Cian Lynch. After recovering from a hamstring injury suffered during the Munster championship, Lynch made a comeback in the semi-final against Galway. However, in the build-up to the hurling final, he suffered an ankle injury.
"We were all devastated for him," said Gillane.
"The thing about Cian is he would never have given off the impression that affected him. He was always the same bubbly character that he is, having a laugh, and having the craic with people. He was a huge loss for us. We were all sickened for him.
"I think I said it to someone after the match that the supporters, and everyone watching the match, they all see what Cian does on the field. What he offers off the field in terms of being in the dressing room, and leadership, that can't go under the radar. He still had a huge part to play in that final.
"He's always there to chat with someone. If there's someone nervous, he'll go over and just start making them laugh or start doing something stupid to calm them down. It's Cian being Cian. Everyone loves being around him, everyone haa great time for him, and he has great time for everyone.
"I'd say there's 35 or 36 fellas on our team that could all say Cian Lynch is one of their best friends."
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17 July 2022; Aaron Gillane, Cian Lynch and his nephew Ché celebrate with the Liam MacCarthy Cup after the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Final match between Kilkenny and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
