I'd have played on for Pat.

RYAN LEAVING CORK TIPPED RETIREMENT SCALES FOR HORGAN

- BY PAT NOLAN

PATRICK HORGAN has admitted that he may have continued playing for Cork if Pat Ryan had stayed on as manager.

The 37-year-old last week announced his retirement after 18 seasons playing at the highest level, just weeks on from Ryan ending his three-year reign as boss.

Ryan was hugely popular among the players and, had he committed to the 2026 campaign and asked Horgan to stay involved, the Glen Rovers man says he would likely have done so.

Instead, Ryan moved on after talks with county board officials having been reluctant to make changes to his management team in the wake of the crushing All-Ireland final loss to Tipperary, when Cork were hotly fancied to bridge the gap to their last title in 2005.