Brian Fenton of Dublin
Brian Fenton has reportedly retired from inter-county football at 31.
The Dublin midfielder has been at the centre of constant rumours around the capital over recent weeks about his future, along with several other of his very prominent team mates.
According to a report in the Irish Times, Fenton has chosen now to end his glittering career after ten seasons in blue. Attempts to contact the player directly were unsuccessful.
The Raheny midfielder was a late developer, missing out on playing minor for Dublin, and only getting one season with the U-21s, when he came into the team under Dessie Farrell mid-championship.
From there, his football career exploded. From 2015, when he made his debut, Fenton didn’t lose a championship match for six years. In all, he amassed seven All-Ireland medals and two Footballer of the Year awards.
Blessed with exceptional skills and athleticism, he was arguably the best individual player over the past decade on a team that became, by deed, recognised as one of the greatest of all time.
His partnership with James McCarthy was a particular area of strength for Dublin. Now, they have lost both players in a manner of just days. It remains to be seen who else will follow Fenton out the exit door.
There have been reports that Stephen Cluxton will also step away but there is a sharp sense that the Dublin team will undergo its greatest period of upheaval since the second season of Pat Gilroy’s reign.
Given his age, the retirement of McCarthy came as no particular surprise but at 31, at still close to the peak of his power – and arguably still the premier midfielder in the game – Fenton’s decision, if confirmed, will shake the entire Gaelic football landscape.
