Dublin GAA has confirmed the retirement of midfielder Brian Fenton, a two-time Footballer of the Year and a cornerstone of the county's dominant men's senior football team over the past decade.
Fenton leaves the Dublin panel at the age of just 31 when he is still considered to be his prime, and his shock retirement comes just two weeks after his long-time midfield partner did the same.
His decision may mark the end of the great Dublin team that won six All-Ireland titles in a row between 2015 and 2020, with the likes of Dean Rock, Philly McMahon and Michael Darragh MacAuley having all retired and Stephen Cluxton and Michael Fitzsimons likely nearing the end of their careers too.
Raheny man Fenton made his debut for Dublin against Monaghan in 2015, and over the past nine years he has won seven All-Ireland and four National Football League titles.
He has also been selected for six All-Star teams and won Footballer of the Year in 2018 and 2020.
Fenton has also won 10 Leinster titles and retires having never lost a game in the provincial championship. He is widely considered to be one of the best midfielders to play the sport.
In a statement, Dublin County Board chair Michael Seavers said Fenton had been "an integral figure in the incredible success enjoyed by Dublin over the past decade.
"He is a hugely talented footballer and fan favourite who will forever be considered one of the greatest players to grace the field in a blue jersey. We thank Brian for his unwavering commitment to Dublin football.
“We wish him and his family all the best going forward and look forward to welcoming him back to Parnell Park as he continues to play with his club Raheny.”
As one of the most decorated footballers in GAA history, Fenton will be high demand for punditry work in the coming years and could likely walk into a television job if he wanted.
On a similar note, the public speaking and events circuit is always open to elite sportspeople, and last year Fenton took part in a Flywheel Momentum Q&A about creating high performance team environments attended by 50 business leaders.
Away from football, Fenton graduated from UCD with a BSc in Physiotherapy in 2015 and started his career as a physiotherapist at Beaumont Hospital the same year before moving to Tekno Surgical as a surgical sales executive two years later.
In September 2020, he took up a roles as sales manager for decontamination solutions & technologies with medical device company SISK Healthcare, which like Tekno is owned by Uniphar Medtech.
In 2021, the midfielder earned an MSc in Business Management from UCD, and he may put it to full use now he's not juggling his career with Sundays tearing up and down Croke Park.
Photo: Brian Fenton. (Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne)
