AFTER 170 games, 64 of them in Championship football, Donegal forward Colm McFadden has retired from inter-county football.
McFadden is Donegal’s record appearance maker and record scorer, having totted up 25 goals and 434 points in the green and gold. On Saturday night, McFadden came on as a late replacement for Karl Lacey in Donegal’s All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Dublin.
As he stood deep in the bowels of the Hogan Stand one last time, McFadden – who made his Donegal debut in 2001 – confirmed that he was calling it a day. “That will be it after today, yeah,” the St Michael’s man said. “Them young fellas, that game is changing all the time, and there is plenty of fine talent coming through, good legs, good footballers so it is time for them to take up the baton now.”
Many felt that McFadden’s intercounty career was over in 2010 after he was derided following Donegal’s Qualifier loss to Armagh in Crossmaglen – on the day of his 100th Donegal game – but he returned in some style under new manager Jim McGuinness, his brother-in-law.
He was an Allstar in 2012 and netted a goal in Donegal’s AllIreland final win over Mayo. He was in the running for Player of the Year having posted 4-32 in the Championship, but was pipped by Lacey. McFadden leaves having won an All-Ireland and three Ulster titles.
He said: “I was lucky, a couple of great years, particularly these past five or six when we had success. It was a good way for it to happen after those barren years for the first eight or nine seasons.
“That the success came at the end made it all the sweeter as we had to wait so long.
“It was a great time to be a Donegal footballer.
“The future is bright for Donegal football.
“Every man has his day. You’d like to play on forever but you have to move on at some stage.”
