TWEETS: Tributes and reaction to Colm Cooper’s retirement after stellar career

The news was widely expected but football fans still struggled to accept that Gooch’s Kerry playing days were truly at an end.

Colm Cooper has called time on his inter-county career after 17 exceptional seasons representing the Kingdom.

“It has been an amazing journey and one that I never wanted to end, however, I feel that this is the right time for me step away from inter county football,” Cooper said in a statement.