MONAGHAN Ulster Championship winners Drew Wylie and Colin Walshe have retired from inter-county football. The veteran defenders have been hampered by injuries over recent seasons and Monaghan manager Vinny Corey, a former teammate of both, described them as “massive stalwarts” for the county.

“I remember playing in the full-back line a lot of days and if you had Drew on one side of you and Colin on the other, you couldn't ask for better,” he said.

Walshe was county captain for three years and, although best known as a defender, he was a versatile operator capable of slotting in all over the field.

“I remember Colin making his debut and even back then you could see he had serious drive,” said Corey.

“He trained so hard, he was really professional in everything he did. He made his senior debut in 2010 and three years' later he was an Allstar. He completely applied himself and I remember in 2013 himself and Conor McManus marked each other all the time in training – taking lumps out of each other and getting the best out of each other – and they both won Allstars that year.”

Ballybay clubman Wylie was nominated for an Allstar in 2013 and established himself as a teak tough full-back and relentless man-marker with under-rated footballing ability.

“I remember nights before big games, myself and Drew would have been given tough marking assignments. It might have been half-10 at night and he'd stick the kettle on and pull out a stash of pink Snack bars out of his kitbag and we'd sit up and relax and have the craic,” said Corey.

“He was a great team-mate, they both were, and two great players for Monaghan. They owe the county nothing.”