Retired Marian steers clear of the slow lane
O’Driscoll laughed as the word left his mouth but the inference was clear: for a sportsperson the thoughts of reaching the end of their career on the pitch, track, road or court can fill the soul with equal parts dread and sadness.
Most are led away reluctantly. Injury makes the call all too often and Father Time catches up with most of the rest, but then there are those who can step outside themselves, run the numbers and lean on hard facts rather than emotion.
