INJURY MADE ME QUIT, SAYS ROYAL REILLY
MEATH star Kevin Reilly insisted yesterday that injuries had left him with no other option but to retire. The 29-year-old, whose career had been sabotaged by a series of setbacks, admitted there was simply no way back from the hip injury he sustained in last year’s Leinster final defeat to Dublin. Reilly, recognised as one of football’s top defensive talents, has battled back from a string of injuries including a problematic back problem, but admitted that his attempt to overcome a hip flexor tear sustained last year has ended in failure. ‘This one I just cannot come back from,’ said the Meath star. ‘About 15 minutes into the final against Dublin I felt a sharp pain in the hip after a change of direction. ‘Immediately I knew there was something serious up. I carried on unable to change direction for the rest of the game. The next day I went for a scan for it to reveal the start of an ongoing nightmare,’ admitted Reilly, who confirmed that the legacy of that injury will require a hip replacement. ‘I will need a full hip replacement in the next five to 10 years. ‘My world was turned upside down and inside out all in the space of two minutes,’ added Reilly. Despite the gravity of his injury, Reilly still battled back to make himself available for Meath this season, but restricted in his ability to twist and turn, he was relocated to wingforward when he made his return against Roscommon in this year’s National League. But fitness eluded him — he managed to complete just two training sessions all season — and he had to play through the pain barrier for most of the summer. He still made it back for the Championship, featuring in all of their three games this summer, coming off the bench against Tyrone to kick two points as Meath crashed out of the Championship in the second round of the qualifiers. ‘I knew that was that for me,’ said Reilly. ‘I made a commitment to myself to see out the campaign and contribute where I could. I’d do anything to be fit and healthy and to give more to Meath but my body won’t let me.’