Neil Gallagher is the master of understatement and modesty – and the gentle Glenswilly giant says his Donegal career was ‘some journey’.
‘A good old career’, as he put it, in Donegal’s colours ended last week when he broke down in training as he attempted to return from a long-running back injury.
Gallagher played 140 games for Donegal, having made his debut against Queen’s in a McKenna Cup game in December 2003.
Gallagher captained Donegal to a National League title in 2007, but his greatest hours came in recent years, winning an All-Ireland and three Ulsters, while he was an All-Star in 2012 and 2014.
“It was a tough decision to make,” Gallagher said.
“You’re part of it for 12 or 13 years. You’d love to be out there, but the injuries just caught up. You know when your time is up. It’s only when you stop and look back, you get all the messages…I feel very lucky to have been part of it. It was some journey.”
Gallagher admits that it was a wrench to pull the pin – but the decision was taken out of his hands.
He said: “I love playing football. That’s all I’d be mad to do, play the football. Realistically it came down to whether I’d be able to train and play continuously. When I looked at it, I wasn’t going to be able to. I had a good old career and it was fantastic to be a part of it.”