Veteran Wilson bows out of county football panel

INJURIES and a wish to commit to his club have forced Westmeath football attacker Fergal Wilson to retire.

The Tubberclair man, whose side were relegated to the intermediate ranks this year, broke onto the senior team following his county’s breakthrough U21 All-Ireland victory in 1999.

He went on to play a starring role in their 2004 Leinster final triumph over Laois, scoring 0-2 in the first game and a point in the replay.

However, a series of injuries have curtailed his football in the past couple of seasons and the 31-year-old has decided to concentrate on his club career.

“I had a good few chats with Pat Flanagan, and decided to call it a day,” Wilson said.

“The main reason is that I have been picking up a good few niggling injuries over the past couple of years, and have struggled to reach the fitness levels needed for inter-county football.”

Wilson also added the demands had become enormous for players to remain competitive at that level and, after more than a decade of hard work and sacrifice, he felt he could no longer maintain that commitment.

“Playing inter-county football is also extremely time consuming, you’re talking four or five nights training each week, then games, and then the amount of preparation that goes into it.”