Conor McManus salutes Dick Clerkin's commitment to the cause

Monaghan captain Conor McManus reckons Dick Clerkin was the last of a dying breed having soldiered with the Farney for nearly 20 years.

Clerkin brought the curtain down on a remarkable 18- season county career yesterday having been the last remaining senior county player to have featured in the 1990s.

He informed McManus of his decision last week and question marks now hang over the futures of fellow veterans Vinny Corey and Paul Finlay. McManus reckons with the demands on inter-county players never as high we won’t see another near 20-year career at the very top level.