The Raheny man, who won seven All-Ireland medals during his 10 seasons with the Dubs, shared a picture of himself as a child with the words: “Proud of that kid for chasing his dreams.”
The photograph shows a very young Brian Fenton, kitted out in a Dublin jersey, holding a cigarette between his fingers, with a grass pitch in the background.
Sharing the image on social media alongside highlights of his career, Fenton said: “Words will never suffice to explain the privilege it has been to represent this county.
“Proud of that kid for chasing his dreams.”
His decision, which came as a complete shock to Dubliners, followed soon after the retirement of another well-known Dublin footballer, James McCarthy, at the start of the month.
Together, the pair had formed arguably one of the greatest midfield parings of all time.
At 31, Fenton remained very much at the peak of his powers and would have been expected to play a key part of Dublin’s bid to win back Sam in 2025.
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He also shared some fantastic photos of celebrations for the team he’s long been a part of, including an iconic photograph of him wielding the Sam Maguire Cup over his head in front of Hill 16.
The talented sportsman has had a fantastic career, winning 10 Leinster medals along with the seven All-Ireland wins under his belt.
He was also awarded two Footballer of the Year awards during his time as an inter-county footballer.
His final game for Dublin was this summer’s All-Ireland quarter-final when they lost out to Galway, the earliest exit for the Dubs from the championship in 15 years.
A statement issued by the Dublin County Board on November 19 said that Dublin GAA “can confirm that Brian Fenton is retiring from Senior Inter-County Football after ten remarkable seasons representing Dublin”.
