Listen to the full interview via the podcast.

The past six months have certainly been testing for former Kerry footballer Tommy Walsh.

The corner forward has been battling a severe hamstring injury for the past six months

The 26-year-old suffered the major tear, which saw his hamstring tendons torn off the bone, while playing for Aussie Rules side Sydney Swans (watch the video here) and as he told us tonight, he knew it was a bad one straight away.

"I knew straight away that it was more than a standard tear. I just kind of bent over awkwardly and felt a sharp shot of pain in the back of my leg, my lower back...I knew there was something wrong straight away," said Walsh.

"They were hoping that the tendons hadn't torn away completely but once I had the scan the next day, it was pretty clear that I'd done a pretty good job on it. Straight away they were telling me that it would take time [to heal] and that I needed to get the operation done straight away. I found out quick that it wasn't going to be a quick road back."

It has been a long road back which has seen him spend six months trying to get back running again and there is still some work to do in order to regain the required strength in his hamstring.

Tommy Walsh playing for the Kingdom before his move to Australia in 2009 ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy

He is optimistic that he will be capable of sprinting again in January and returning to training in February for the next AFL season.

Beyond 2014 when his contract expires, there is a possibility that he could return to play for Kerry.

"I'll have been here five years and it's definitely an experience I've enjoyed. Whether I want to come home, I don't know yet but it's something I'll look at in the middle of the year and make a decision then," Walsh confirmed.

"Ever since I was a young fella, the only thing I wanted to do was play for Kerry and I was lucky enough to do that at an early enough age so that pull is always great. That drive to still play for Kerry is still there and it's something I'm hoping I can do before my best years are behind me."

Listen to the full interview via the podcast. 

 

Main image by ©INPHO/Getty Images