MAYO'S LEE KEEGAN has announced his retirement from inter-county football today
Keegan, who won Footballer of the Year in 2016 has dealt Mayo boss Kevin Mcstay a huge blow ahead of the upcoming inter-county GAA season.
The 33 year-old made 140 appearances for his native country during his career.
Despite losing six All- Ireland finals, the Westport man won a number of honours with Mayo. These included the likes five All-Stars, seven Connacht titles while he also has an Allianz Football League medal from 2019.
The Mayo veteran admitted that family comes first ahead of his county.
Keegan speaking via the Mayo GAA website: “I have enjoyed every minute of my time with Mayo. We had great days and some memorable victories. For me, it was always about wearing that Mayo jersey with pride every single day, and I was honoured to play alongside players who were of the same mind, and under managers who drove high standards on and off the pitch.
Lee Keegan has announced his retirement from Inter County football.
All at Mayo GAA wish Lee the best of luck in his retirement.
Read More Below 🔽🔽https://t.co/i33LJQ1dR2#mayogaa pic.twitter.com/X1twCQX5ZT— Mayo GAA (@MayoGAA) January 9, 2023
“But all good things must come to an end. The reality is that I have had to rely on a lot of people – most notably my wife Aoife – to give me the time and space to pursue my dream. Now that we have two young children, Lile and Rhea, I am keenly aware that I am no longer able to commit to inter-county football in the way I did over the past eleven years. I will continue to make myself available to Westport and look forward to building on last year’s historic success in the years ahead.
I wish Mayo every success in 2023 and beyond. I will be cheering them on from the terraces. That’ll be an unusual experience for me, I’m sure, but such is the way of life.”
Mayo manager Kevin McStay added: "Lee has represented Mayo with great distinction. He was indestructible and defiant: on the biggest days, he walked tall and proud. Lee embodied the resilience of Mayo. The example he set will continue to inspire Mayo for many years to come.”
Kevin McStay’s Mayo will host old rivals Galway in their opening fixture of Division 1 of the National Football League on the 28th of January.
Mayo’s 2023 NFL Fixtures:
Round 1: Vs Galway in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Saturday, January 28 at 7.30pm.
Round 2: Vs Armagh in the Athletic Grounds, Armagh on Sunday, February 5 at 3.30pm.
Round 3: Vs Kerry in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Saturday, February 18 at 7.30pm.
Round 4: Vs Tyrone in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Saturday, February 25 at 7pm.
Round 5: Vs Roscommon in Dr Hyde Park on Sunday, March 5 at 2.45pm.
Round 6: Vs Donegal in MacCumhaill Park, Ballybofey on Sunday, March 19 at 3.45pm.
Round 7: Vs Monaghan in in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Sunday, March 26 at 1.45pm.
Final: Weekend of April 1-2.
