Munster SHC Semi-final: Ian O'Riordanhears why Waterford's Michael Walsh, who is regarded my many as a better footballer, is the perfect captain.

He's described as one of the most skilful players, not just in Waterford but the whole province, great hands and great vision. He produced one of the finest individual performances in one of Waterford's most famous Munster titles. And he's said to have one the fast and beautifully-tuned engine of a classic sports car.

No one should be surprised to hear that player is Michael "Brick" Walsh, the Waterford hurling captain. What may be surprising is that these are his football attributes, and that Walsh is still regarded by many as a better footballer than hurler. It just happens he's truly exceptional at both.

"I'd give my right hand to have him, because I know he's one of the best footballers in Munster," says Waterford football manager John Kiely. "And I mean that. He's a class act at either midfield or in the forward line, and definitely a better footballer than a hurler. I've no doubt about that.

"But of course he's a class hurler as well. Very few guys are born like that, who can be brilliant at totally different disciplines. Jimmy Barry Murphy is the only one I'd compare him to.

"He has it all, but the main thing about Brick is he has a huge, huge engine. And a great pair of hands. On top of that he's someone you can really depend on. He's an intelligent guy, top class in every way, and would never let himself or his team-mates down. He's also incredibly modest, not one these guys with any ego. He'll always talk about someone else on the team. Or when he does talk about himself it's about doing better the next day."

WALSH'S MODESTY WASunderlined recently when mixing with other team captains at the launch of the hurling championship in Croke Park. The centre of attention following Waterford's National League win over Kilkenny, Walsh fielded questions with patience and respect, never once taking any individual credit for their breakthrough.

Yet his performance in the league final was central to Waterford's victory, especially in the decisive final 10 minutes: "Captain Michael Walsh came into the game most strongly at this stage," wrote Seán Moran in his Irish Timesmatch report, "as Waterford's push for home began."

Walsh would not take any claim to the fame: "We showed a lot of heart in those 10 minutes to come out and win it but it's nothing to get carried away with. If you look at that game, the win was great, but it glossed over a lot of things that went wrong and we have to improve on those deficiencies if we want to have a good summer of successful hurling."

And then he shifted any praise to his team-mates, especially the newer players like defender Aidan Kearney and forward Jack Kennedy - "They have been a breath of fresh air. They are the same age as myself and they are no young boys either. Those players have done it in the league but they want to be proven in the championship and that is what we are aiming to do."

Only last week Kiely came across another incident that confirmed Walsh's modesty, and also his thoughtfulness for others: his friend Paul Bealin, the Wexford football manager, had asked Kiely to get a hurley signed, as one of his nephews in Dublin was going mad on the Waterford hurling team. Kiely rang Walsh last Tuesday, and asked him was there any hope of getting a hurley signed by the team, for this young kid in Dublin. No problem, he said, he'd do it on Thursday night.

On the Thursday, arriving back home at 10.30pm, Kiely found the hurley left at the door, with all the signatures on it. "I know if that was any other player it just wouldn't have happened," he says, "that I'd have to go back a few times and ask him again. That's just one example of the type of individual the man is."

Kiely also witnessed Walsh when he produced that fine performance in one of Waterford's most famous Munster titles - the under-21 football win of 2003. He was born into a football family and football area and it was inevitable Walsh would first try his hand with the larger ball, and he soon became one of the stand-out players in his club Stradbally, helping them to win the first of five successive county football titles in 2001.

HIS NATURAL STRENGTHand athleticism made him an obvious midfielder, and it was there he produced the stunning display of football in the 2003 Munster under-21 football final, where Waterford, facing the might of Kerry, were chasing their first title in the grade. His ability to win ball and distribute it proved Kerry's downfall.

"Kerry had nobody to match him that day," recalls Kiely. "But I'd actually come across "Brick" Walsh a couple of years before when I was involved with the Waterford minors. We lost to Kerry that year by a point. They scored in the last minute, had players like Gooch Cooper and Declan O'Sullivan, but we still came very close to beating them.

"I also remember him in the qualifiers the next year in 2002, against Roscommon, and he gave an absolute exhibition of football, playing in the forwards."

Still only 24, Walsh may yet return to the county football scene (he still plays both codes for Stradbally), but for now he's committed to the county hurlers only. He was called into the senior panel in 2003 by manager Justin McCarthy, appearing as a substitute in all five of their championship games that summer, and which ended with defeat by Wexford in the qualifiers.

By 2004 he was in their regular starting line-up, helping Waterford to the Munster hurling title. At that stage McCarthy's only concern was where to play him, frequently switching him between midfield and centre half forward, and eventually trying him on the edge of the square.

COME THE BIGGERgames of last summer, however, Walsh was back at midfield, and has been cemented there since. McCarthy is equally aware of his talents and after Waterford beat Cork in the 2006 league described him as "outstanding . . . doesn't know when to stop and has a fierce big heart."

It's often assumed physical strength is the source of his nickname "Brick", but Walsh has explained otherwise: "It certainly wasn't given to me because I was mightily strong or anything like that. It was a nickname I seemed to pick up in school and for a while people just thought it was a double-barrel family name, but it's after sticking with me now in a big way, and at this stage I just accept it."

He has also admitted his frustration at not being able to commit to both hurling and football. He tried it for a while, but after Stradbally lost the 2004 Munster club final to Kilmurray-Ibrickane of Clare he realised he'd reached a crossroads. "It was nice to reach the Munster final for a club from Waterford but then losing it in the last match of the year was very disappointing and I suppose it was time to make a permanent move to hurling. It's very difficult to play both because there is so much overlapping. I did not play a huge amount of hurling growing up but I'm enjoying the game and it's becoming more and more competitive all the time.

"It's very hard to mix both because of work commitments, especially if you are trying to give it 100 per cent. You just need time to recover and I'm afraid the football has had to take a back seat."

There is no one arguing with his decision, not even Kiely, despite the offer of cutting off his right hand: "I totally understand his choice. If you're a young player in Waterford, hurling is easily the highest profile game, the chance to play on television six or seven times a year.

"I know he would like to play both, but understands if you really want to reach the top of your sport you have to do one. Maybe 20 or 30 years ago you could get away it, but not in today's rat race . . . It's just not humanly possible to play both games at the top level.

"The only time actually I asked him to come back to football was in 2004, when we made the All-Ireland junior final, but he didn't think it was fair to come in and take the place of someone else. But I haven't asked him since, because I have too much respect for the guy to put him under that kind of pressure.

"I'd wish him all the best in the hurling. He's such a worthy captain, doesn't drink or smoke. And that's a great asset to the team. It was a great choice by the management to make him captain, because he is a leader in every sense, a tremendous bit of stuff, and everybody in Waterford football would be over the moon if this guy lifts the MacCarthy Cup in September.

"Michael knows it's a long road. But they're very, very focused on one thing, and that's getting to Croke Park for an All-Ireland final. I think they'll win the Munster title, but they'll put that trophy in the boot of the car, there will be no celebrating. They'll stop at nothing until they get the MacCarthy Cup."