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Kieran Donaghy reveals the potential scenario that spurred his Kerry retirement

Knowing when the time is right to retire from inter-county duty is a decision that all players ha...



Kieran Donaghy reveals the pot...
Videos

Kieran Donaghy reveals the potential scenario that spurred his Kerry retirement

Knowing when the time is right to retire from inter-county duty is a decision that all players have to come to eventually.

Kieran Donaghy reveals the potential scenario that spurred his Kerry retirement

00:00:00 / 00:00:00

For Kerry's four time All Ireland winner Kieran Donaghy that time is 2018 and a couple of weeks on from making the announcement, the Austin Stacks club man and keen basketball player joined Ger Gilroy to discuss retirement and the highlights and most difficult moments from his career. 

"I'd built it up with my family and my wife knew that the time would be probably this year but I think it was then knowing Eamonn [Fitzmaurice, recently departed Kerry manager] was gone and knowing that Eamonn wouldn't be coming back going, 'Give us another year' and knowing that playing-wise and my body type and the age profile next year - 36 - it's a vulnerable place to be. You're asking yourself a lot of hard questions," he said.

Donaghy also discussed the scenarios that flashed through his mind that helped him seal the decision.

"I think I could help the team offensively no problem, probably from an off the bench role which I've never minded," he said.

"I still feel I could catch ball late on, get goals and be a leader up front and be a focal point. I feel no problem in doing all that.

"But just other areas of the game where I feel like my mobility... I just don't want it to cost us and that would be a big fear of mine that a team would put a runner on me and start taking me up. Next thing, 65 minutes in and I can't follow him because I'm 36 and I'm too tired and I can't get after him and he goes in and gets a goal. And I cost Kerry an All Ireland quarter-final, semi-final, final and then I'm kind of going to myself, 'Oh my God, this is going to be going over my head for 50 years, why didn't I step away'.

"So the thoughts of me costing me anybody a medal or a game or a win was also in the reckoning."

Watch the full interview right here: 

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