Mortimer in shock quit move

Conor Mortimer has sensationally quit the Mayo senior football panel just days before the county's Connacht SFC final showdown with Sligo.

The enigmatic forward missed out on a starting berth for the semi-final win over Leitrim, and his name was also missing from the team selected to face Sligo this Sunday.

A statement released by the Mayo County Board confirmed: "Due to personal reasons, Conor Mortimer has decided to leave the current Mayo senior football panel.

"The management, players and County Board would like to take this opportunity to thank Conor Mortimer for his services this year to Mayo GAA and indeed for his services throughout the years.

"Conor has been a great servant to football in the county and his contributions will live long in the hearts in Mayo people.

"We would also like to state the the door is always open for any player who is showing the skills, commitment, ability and passion for Mayo now and in the future."

Mortimer, Mayo's all-time leading scorer, is understood to have missed training last night. His untimely decision suggests he left the squad due to a lack of game-time.

But when a Twitter follower argued today that he would have won his place back and expressed his disappointment with the timing, Mortimer replied: "Nah, (there's) more to it."

The 28-year-old free-taker answered, 'Nope', when asked if he quit just because he is not starting this weekend's game. He also brushed aside the idea of 'just sitting tight for a medal', and seems convinced that it is in his best interest to call it a day now.

Mortimer is set to continue his club career with Dublin side Parnells. He is the second player to leave James Horan's Mayo panel in recent days - goalkeeper Robert Hennelly, who wore the county's number 1 jersey last season, quit last week due to 'work commitments' as media and communications officer with www.drinkaware.ie.