AS OLD GUARD STAND DOWN

Karl O'Kane looks at a shrinking elite club of players who made their debuts in the noughties

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DARREN Hughes decision to retire at 38 means that only a handful of inter-county footballers who debuted at senior level in the noughties still remain active at the highest level.

The figure may be as low as five - Stephen Cluxton (2001), Ben Brosnan (2007), Michael Murphy (2007), Paul Conroy (2008) and Aidan O'Shea (2009).

Monaghan star Hughes made his debut all the way back in 2006 in a Tommy Murphy Cup game.

The competition was the original Tailteann Cup, an attempt at a second tier Championship with eight teams, which lasted just five years and was abandoned after the 2008 season.

Hughes was only beginning though and remarkably went onto play for 20 seasons with Monaghan.

Goalkeeper Cluxton (43) has played for 23 years with Dublin, having sat out the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

There's been no word on whether he intends to continue on in 2026 under new manager Ger Brennan, who he played alongside in Dublin’s 2011 and 2013 All-Ireland victories.

2012 All-Ireland winning Donegal captain Michael Murphy also sat out two years (2023 and 2024) before returning this year for his 17th season with Donegal.

Paul Conroy debuted for Galway seniors in 2008 - a year after Murphy - and has played in each one of the 18 seasons since.

Now 36, Conroy showed his quality and longevity by landing last year's Footballer of the Year award at 35 years of age.