SMALL CHANGE

JOHN SMALL has become the latest Dublin footballer to announce his retirement.

- BY PAT NOLAN

His decision follows that of Stephen Cluxton to join new boss Ger Brennan's management team, thereby bringing the curtain down on his lengthy playing career.

Small was one of the beneficiaries of Brennan's Dublin career winding down in the middle of the last decade as he played all of his football in the halfback line and much of it at centre-back after first being called up for the 2015 season.

The Ballymun Kickhams man emerged after Dublin had begun to assert their dominance having won All-Irelands in 2011 and '13, and he was then part of the side that created history by winning the six-in-a-row from 2015-20.

He won his seventh Celtic Cross in 2023, with his haul also including 10 Leinster titles and four National Leagues, while he was an All Star in 2020.

It looked as though he was set to join several others in retirement ahead of the 2025 season but he rejoined the panel before the Championship and featured in five of Dublin's seven games.