DONEGAL’S McGEE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

DONEGAL All-Ireland winner Neil McGee has called time on his inter-county career. The 36-year-old was a pillar of the county’s 2012 Sam Maguire Cup success and at his peak was regarded as one of the top defenders in the game. He won three All-Stars, all at full-back. An injury picked up in the opening quarter of last year’s Ulster SFC exit to Tyrone effectively marked the end of his career and the Gaoth Dobhair man was very much on the fringes this season, making the last of his 195 appearances — a county record — from the bench in injury-time in Donegal’s Ulster semi-final win over Cavan. He announced his retirement in an interview with the Donegal News. ‘The body just doesn’t have anything left to give,’ said McGee (right). ‘I thought long and hard about last year, going back I mean. And with Declan (Bonner) staying on, I decided to give it one more shot. ‘But with the back playing up like it did after that injury the season before, I just didn’t feature like I would have wanted so it was a much easier decision this time around. ‘Whatever is left in the tank now I intend to give it all to Gaoth Dobhair. I missed so much there over the years because of what we were trying to achieve with Donegal.’ Having made his debut in 2005, his retirement means just two of Jim McGuinness’ 2012 team remain on board — Michael Murphy and Patrick McBrearty. The identity of Bonner’s successor has yet to be revealed, although another of McGee’s 2012 team-mates, Rory Kavanagh, has been strongly tipped to take over.