Cillian O’Connor's Mayo career appears to be over with news that the player will not line out for the county in 2025.

At 32, it would be difficult to envisage the Ballintubber man returning to the fold in 2026, even allowing for the fact that Michael Murphy has just come out of retirement for Donegal and his fellow 35-year-old Paul Conroy recently scooped the Footballer of the Year award.

O’Connor is based in Dublin and the gruelling commute to Mayo for training is surely a factor in his decision to step away, which has been reported by the Irish Examiner after much speculation around his future.

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O’Connor is the highest scorer in Championship history having surpassed Kerry’s Colm Cooper five years ago, though his game time has been more restricted in recent seasons.

His last appearance came for the county as a sub late in normal time in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final against Derry, which Mayo went on to lose on penalties, though despite his becoming more peripheral, it’s difficult to paint it as anything other than a blow to manager Kevin McStay as he enters his third season in charge, with other defections anticipated.

O’Connor first broke into the side as a teenager in 2011, starring in their Connacht final win over Roscommon that year as he won the first of his seven provincial titles. He played in seven All-Ireland finals, including the 2016 draw and replay with Dublin, as Mayo repeatedly fell short and he missed the 2021 final loss to Tyrone due to an Achilles tendon rupture.

He won All Stars in 2014 and ‘20 and was twice Young Footballer of the Year. As well as heading the all-time scoring charts, O’Connor’s 4-9 in the 2020 All-Ireland semi-final win over Tipperary is the highest individual tally ever posted in a Championship game.

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