Noel Hickey is one of the strongest defenders in the country. He plays hurling with his local club Dunnamaggin and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 2000.
The 29 year old isn’t driven by the five in-a-row — he’s more focussed on winning another All-Ireland final.
“It doesn’t enter my mind about the five-in-a-row at all. Maybe some of the lads use it as motivation but I don’t. For me it’s all about the love and the pure passion of the game,” he said. “ It’s about being able to represent your county, do your very best and make them proud. If there are extras then all very well and we’ll be proud of the history what ever follows after is a bonus.”
Hickey’s thoughts turn to the game and how he remains focussed.
“During the game you concentrate on marking your man, you don’t think of the sideshow. You have one thing in mind and that’s victory”, he said. “You don’t lose sight of the task in hand and you don’t take your eye off that ball.”
The three-time All Star winner doesn’t feel pressured and never feels threatened of the opposition.
“ I never feel threatened by the opposition, I just do what I can and not give up,” he said. “At the end of the day you’re just marking another man and it’s how you play your part, that’s what counts. Come this Sunday hopefully all our hard work will matter and we’ll be lifting the Liam McCarthy Cup. ”
