Schutte hints at Dublin return

Cuala captain Paul Schutte says he may return to inter-county hurling if new Dublin boss Pat Gilroy wants him on his panel.

The wing-back, who declined to play for the Sky Blues this year under Ger Cunningham, has remained tight-lipped about his  reasons for quitting the Dublin panel, but hinted in an interview with the Irish Sun that he was open to a return under new boss Gilroy.

Gilroy, who was appointed in October on a three-year term, is expected to ask Schutte, his brother Mark, and Danny ­Sutcliffe to make themselves available again for 2018.

The trio retired ­during Cunningham's reign, which was described by one former player as "toxic", with ­Sutcliffe deciding to concentrate on his acadenic career, while Mark Schutte opted to join Jim Gavin's football panel after Cuala's All-Ireland Club SHC win in March.

And the 28-year-old, a key member of the Dalkey-based Cuala side that begins the defence of their Leinster title against Kilkenny champions Dicksboro at Parnell Park on Sunday, says his inter-county return depends on whether Gilroy wants him back or not.

"That's not my decision. It's up to Pat," he said.

"We'll have to see how this year pans out. I can't look that far ahead. I'll just keep playing with the club and see what's at the end of it."

Gilroy becomes the first native Dubliner to lead the county since Tommy Naughton in 2008, after the Dublin County Board ratified him ahead of Cuala's All-Ireland club championship-winning manager Mattie Kenny on 11 October.

And Schutte admits he was quite happy that Kenny, a member of Galway's 2012 All-Ireland final management team, just missed out on the Sky Blues' job.

"I was slightly relieved when he didn't get it,” Schutte said. 

"The things he has done for this club are incredible. It’s definitely Cuala's gain.

"It's Dublin's loss but at the same time, Pat will do an unbelievable job. So it's in good hands now."

Image: Inpho/Tommy Dickson

eir Sport channels are available across the eir Vision, Sky and Vodafone TV platforms as well as on the eir Sport app. All 7 channels in the eir Sport pack are available for free if you are a residential eir broadband customer