do it all on the pitch is a great achievement. To start every championship match since he came on the scene, it goes without saying how good that is and I hope to God that he achieves it." Six-time All-Ireland dual medallist and All-Ireland-winning manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy wrote: "He is most certainly the greatest hurler that I have ever seen, and I even saw Christy Ring towards the end of his days. But this guy outshines everything that I have ever seen on a hurling field. His work ethic is amazing, and one that others must aspire to if they are to reach the stars." Writing in the Kilkenny GAA Yearbook 2012, contemporary Cork hurler, Donal Óg Cusack, wrote: "If there is better to come than Henry, I for one would hope to be around to see him. He is the perfect example for every young player. He doesn’t practice and live his life the way he does because he is Henry Shefflin. He is Henry Shefflin BECAUSE he does those things, and doesn’t stop. He drives on." Five-time All-Ireland medallist D. J. Carey regards Shefflin as the "greatest forward of all time." In the build-up to Shefflin's bid for a ninth All-Ireland medal, former Tipperary hurler and manager Babs Keating wrote: "If he can do that he can go down as the greatest hurler in every way. If he can do that it is a record that I can't see ever being surpassed." Joe Canning, the player Shefflin pipped to the Hurler of the Year award in 2012, stated: "Henry is the best player that has every played and his nine All-Ireland medals speaks for itself. Everybody models themselves on him because he is the ultimate team player and everyone wants to be like him...There is no doubt about it – everybody wants to have him on their team. He is probably the best hurler that has ever played." Eddie Keher, a six-time All-Ireland medallist and the man who Shefflin surpassed as the top scorer of all-time, stated: "Henry Shefflin is the greatest hurler of all time. He's a most sporting player and he's competitive." Contemporary Waterford hurler John Mullane wrote: "I can't speak highly enough of Shefflin either. Henry is simply irreplaceable and the measure of the man is his ability to bounce back from serious injuries in recent years to get himself fully fit for the championship."