AS he stood on the side of the Cusask Park pitch on Sunday, Neil McManus had a line of well-wishers approaching to shake his hand and offer their gratitude for all he has given to Antrim hurling over the course of his 17 years in the senior jersey.

The 35-year-old wasn't willing to confirm that this was it for him in county colours, instead suggesting he will first enjoy a day or two with his team-mates who delivered and then some against Westmeath to retain Leinster Championship hurling.

He will make up his mind fully in due course and deserves the time and space to do so, but there was a feeling this could have been his last and what a way to go out.

McManus "had no business being on a hurling field today," said Antrim manager Darren Gleeson because of a hamstring injury that was supposed to have kept him out for seven weeks. McManus was back in three and his performance did not dip whatsoever as he was right in the thick of the action, scored a couple of trademark points when selling dummies and led from the front as always.

When withdrawn as the game ticked into stoppage time and the victory in the bag, he was perhaps being given his moment but typically looked perplexed as to why he was coming off.

The fortunes of the county team has always meant the world to him and will continue to do so and as his voice cracked trying to explain what Sunday's win meant, his thoughts were on what is next for the group whether he is there or not.

"It means everything," he said.

"It's so fulfilling to see that team go on the way they have. The age is really good so there's nothing to stop us driving onto another level.

"I think the way we finished there shows we are a strong enough Division One team in Championship and league, so now the next step is to be pushing to progress out of groups and into semi-finals.

"The most pleasurable bit of this journey has been seeing the development of these young men. I've been the lucky one to be a part of that group."

Mullingar was the venue back in 2006 when the Cushendall man led from the front in an All-Ireland minor quarter-final, marking a certain Joe Canning and in a game that Antrim came so close to winning. He graduated onto the senior team immediately and had been there since.

There have been more bad days than good, but his desire to do his bit never diminished and will rank as one of the country's greatest ever, if not the best of all.

With the Saffrons now back on the right track after some difficult years, he is probably best placed to assess where things now sit than over the past decade and he feels the current crop have developed into top-class players and leaders capable of pushing on even further.

"It was huge for that group of young men who have developed into a serious Division One team, which we haven't been since about 2009, '10, '11," he said of Sunday's win.

"It takes a long time to get back there, but there are leaders all over the field. They are professionals, want it so much and when they do things wrong they are hard on themselves, which is a great sign as they want to correct it.

"We were brilliant today, but Westmeath just ran out of steam, especially without Killian Doyle who is as good a hurler there is.

"What I was most pleased about is that we did what we said we would do. We kept using the ball properly and if Kilkenny, Galway or Dublin put on that display, there would be loads of plaudits tonight on the TV.

"We don't get that and I understand it because we need to do it more consistently."