Former Galway hurler Ollie Canning has expressed his shock at Lar Corbett's decision to retire from inter-county hurling.
Corbett, a three-time All-Star, informed Tipperary manager Declan Ryan of his decision to retire on Monday, citing business and work commitments, before he sent a text to his team-mates to make them aware of the situation.
The announcement has left the GAA world in a state of shock with some suggesting that there is more to his retirement than is being reported.
Canning enjoyed many tussles with Corbett and he admits that he has been left stunned by his decision.
"If he is retired it's a massive loss to Tipperary," Canning is quoted as saying in the Irish Daily Star. "If you saw him in his mid 20s you wouldn’t have expected him to be the player he has been for the past few years.
"He is in his prime and that's one of the reasons this is such a surprise. Larry was such a prolific scorer. Last year he got 4-4 in a Munster final and hardly anyone batted an eyelid.
"Plenty of forwards take the handy score from 30 yards out, but Larry had an eye for goal - that's why he's so popular with the Tipp fans."
Corbett's former manager Ken Hogan is hopeful the 2010 Hurler of the Year will change his mind once he has had time to have a proper think about his future in the game.
"We’re all surprised by something that happened so suddenly. I’m still coming to terms with it. We’re shell-shocked," Hogan said in the Irish Examiner.
"Every player goes through a phase and hopefully this is one of them. They have difficult lifestyles. Lar has big commitments work-wise but when things settle down he might consider returning.
"It happens in all different sports, players taking time out from things. Hopefully, he will in time reconsider his decision. All players are human and Lar needs time to reflect. He’s been there for 12 years. He now needs to be allowed the space to think about his hurling."