O'Neill retires from Tyrone intercounty scene

Tyrone have been dealt a big blow with the retirement of intercounty footballer Stephen O'Neill. The 27-year-old Clann na nGael forward, who was Footballer of the Year in 2005, gave as his reason a desire to concentrate on playing with his club

The news appears to have been a poorly-kept secret in the county, with his team-mates and manager Mickey Harte being aware that O'Neill was seriously contemplating retirement. Team-mates had been encouraging him to change his mind over the past number of months.

But the player has decided to call time on his intercounty career. The hope will be that O'Neill, who is certainly young enough, will reconsider the decision after taking some time out.

Speaking to RTÉ radio last night, Harte said that injury had only been part of the reason behind the decision. "In fact, I was talking to him back in October and he told me that he intended to give 10 years to Tyrone and then concentrate on his club.

"I decided to give him as long as possible and hope that he'd see things differently. But he's a very determined gentleman and maybe that's what made him so good as a footballer. I think he has so much more to give."

The player has been hounded by injury since his best season three years ago and hasn't been able to put together a sustained run on the team in the intervening years. Even this season, he was looking at missing most of the NFL with a troublesome knee.

As a young player, Stephen O'Neill had a big reputation as an exceptional talent with a bright senior future.

His career has been closely linked with Harte's over the past 10 years or so. He played on both of the minor teams that reached the 1997 and 1998 All-Ireland finals, winning the latter, and in 2000 and 2001 he was on the teams that Harte took to back-to-back All-Ireland under-21 titles, starting on all those teams at number 12.

He was brought on to the senior panel in 2001 by Art McRory and Eugene McKenna, and played so well in the county's Ulster title winning season that he was named an All Star at centre forward.

Despite such an encouraging start, O'Neill's progress stalled in 2002 and by the time Harte took over the seniors at the end of that year the talented forward was struggling to stake a place on the starting 15.

When Tyrone won the county's first All-Ireland in 2003, O'Neill hadn't manage to reclaim his place, but he had become a very important replacement, coming on for the injured Peter Canavan in the semi-final win over Kerry and playing a significant role in the final defeat of Armagh.

Two years later, however, he played a starring role in the county's epic journey to a second All-Ireland title.

Having to take the outside track through the qualifiers, Tyrone frequently relied on O'Neill's ability to finish and he ended the campaign having scored 5-49 in 10 matches.

He retires having won two national leagues, two Ulster titles, two All-Ireland medals and two All Stars.