Updated Jan 25th 2022, 1:14 PM<\/p>\n
KERRY STAR JAMES O\u2019Donoghue has announced his inter-county retirement.<\/p>\n
The 2014 Footballer of the Year and two-time All-Star confirmed his decision on Off The Ball\u2019s The Football Pod.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Donoghue, 31, revealed he made up his mind when he stepped away from the panel last year, though the news was kept quiet through the Kingdom\u2019s run to the All-Ireland semi-final, where they fell to eventual champions, Tyrone.<\/p>\n
Doubts had been cast over his future, O\u2019Donoghue having struggled with injury in recent years \u2014 though the 2014 All-Ireland winner confirmed his exit today.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all over, it\u2019s all over bar the shouting,\u201d he told OTB\u2019s Tommy Rooney, and former Dublin star Paddy Andrews,\u00a0who he joins as co-host of the podcast.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, I was fighting an uphill battle. Realistically, I stepped away from the panel just before the going got very serious because I wasn\u2019t really contributing. I told them at that stage that I was retiring but because Kerry were going too well, we decided not to put out a statement and throw all the good vibes out of the camp. So we just kept it under wraps.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a painful one, it\u2019s definitely something that\u2019s going to be hard, but it\u2019s the right thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Killarney Legion clubman burst onto the Kerry panel during the 2010 McGrath Cup, and went on to establish himself as one of the top forwards in the modern game.<\/p>\n
\n O’Donoghue on the ball in the 2015 final.<\/p>\n
Source: James Crombie\/INPHO<\/p>\n
O\u2019Donoghue was simply scintillating from 2013 to 2015, in particular, winning his first All-Star in \u201913 despite Kerry\u2019s semi-final exit at the hands of Dublin \u2014 he scored 2-3 in that thrilling encounter \u2014 and his first and only All-Ireland in \u201914 as the Kingdom overcame Donegal in the final.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was named Footballer of the Year and collected a second All-Star accolade that season after finishing the championship with an impressive 4-24 tally.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Donoghue again starred in 2015, though Kerry fell short to Dublin in the decider, and his long road of injury hell began thereafter.<\/p>\n
He retires with eight Munster championships to his name; his last game for Kerry a league meeting with Galway in February 2020, where he scored 0-2 in the opening half before being replaced at half-time.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Donoghue also revealed he attempted a comeback for 2022, with Jack O\u2019Connor in charge once again, but his \u201cbody wasn\u2019t up to it\u201d.<\/p>\n
\n In action for Killarney Legion in 2020.<\/p>\n
Source: Laszlo Geczo\/INPHO<\/p>\n
\u201cI know Jack well, very well and have always got on great with him, and I know that if I was right, I could have picked up the phone and rang him and said \u2018I\u2019m thinking about changing my mind, what do you think?\u2019<\/p>\n
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\u201cI actually did give a go at getting into very good nick for it, just to see if I could give it one last go, but do you know what \u2013 my body wasn\u2019t up to it. I\u2019ll go back to the club now, tailor my programme and I guarantee you that I might not see another injury, just the slight drop in intensity might suit me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I was right I could have picked up the phone and we\u2019d have had a chat, but it just didn\u2019t feel right.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t keep doing this, you have to either get right, or get out,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
He now replaces Andy Moran, the new Leitrim manager, on The Football Pod. You can listen to the full episode here ><\/p>\n<\/p>\n