Shamrock Rovers have confirmed that Irish international midfielder Keith Fahey has retired from football. The 16 cap Irish international has taken the decision after advice from doctors regarding an injury sustained in May. Fahey underwent surgery on a knee and hip injury but he has now taken the decision to call time on his career at the relatively young age of 32.
Speaking to Rovers' official website, Fahey confirmed that the time was right to call it a day.
Unfortunately I have had to come to this decision after taking advice from the doctor and surgeon, I feel that it is the right time to finish playing professional football. I’d like to thank everyone that has supported me, managed me and played with me during my time playing football.
Rovers boss Pat Fenlon has shared his disappointment at losing someone, who, on his day, was undoubtedly one of the league's shining lights.
Keith will be a big loss to Shamrock Rovers and the League of Ireland in general. He has been a central part of our squad this season and has been a great influence on the players, particularly the younger members of our squad.
We will miss his experience at the club, experience he brought from playing at the top level of English football, in addition to his international career, and I want to wish him all the best in his retirement.
Fahey's career cross channel began with Arsenal and Aston Villa and, following a spell back home, he cemented a place for himself in the Birmingham side that won the League Cup in 2011. Injury problems took their toll towards the end of his spell in England and he returned to the League of Ireland first with St Pats before joining Rovers at the beginning of this season.
On the international scene, Fahey certainly showed glimpses of the talent that was there but was perhaps not always shown as much as it could have been. Nevertheless he certainly contributed to the Irish cause, never more so than with the crucial goal he scored against Armenia in Yerevan in September 2010.
