I would like to wish all the best to Dublin star Alan Brogan who today announced his retirement from inter-county football.

Alan will be huge a loss to the inter-county game, but as a man who has played for Dublin since 2002, he owes nothing to the Dubs. As a Dublin player with a career stretching back almost 14 years, Alan has known bad days as well as good.

He was among the greatest players to don the Dublin shirt, and his skill and tenacity not only lit up games, but won matches and championships.

Alan scored his team’s last point of the game in this year’s all-Ireland final, and I can scarcely think of a better way to sign off on a football career than to seal a win for Dublin over arch-rivals Kerry on their way to Sam Maguire glory.

Alan has been a great ambassador for the Gaelic football, a great servant to the game and a magnificent role model for youngsters within his club St Oliver Plunkett/Eoghan Ruadh, his county and beyond. I am sure that he will continue to remain closely involved in the GAA.