Brian Lenihan forced to retire aged 23 due to injury

Former under-21 international defender Brian Lenihan has announced his retirement from professional football, aged just 23, after admitting defeat in the long battle with injury he has endured since moving to England three and a half years ago.

Lenihan, who played underage football with College Corinthians before joining Cork City, where he made his real breakthrough in early 2014. He joined Hull City in August of that year for a fee believed to have been in the region of €250,000.

He appeared to be making solid enough progress when he went on loan to Blackpool that November and got a call-up to train with the Irish senior squad. The club arrangement was cut short when he was injured on his second outing a couple of weeks later. Since then, he has made just one Championship appearance for Hull, in April 2016, and one in the League Cup, last August, with the Irishman struggling for much of the rest of the time with knee injuries.

“In light of events late last year, it is with deep regret that I have had to retire from Professional Football,” he said in a statement issued on Twitter.

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“Having to retire at 23 is something I did not foresee, but such is life! This decision does not come lightly but due to the medical advice I have received it is an action that needs to be taken for my own wellbeing. Sometimes in life you need to give up on a life-long dream to ensure you live a happy and more fulfilling life!”

He goes on to thank the medical staff at Hull City, the managers he worked under there and a number of other staff by name in heartfelt terms before signing off: “Much love Brian Lenihan.”