O'Rourke bows out

Shelbourne midfielder John O'Rourke hopes to become involved in coaching after conceding defeat in his 15-month battle against injury at the weekend and announcing his retirement from the game as a player.

"I suppose I have to accept that it's just not going to be," he said yesterday, adding that "I had hoped to get back training, but given the pain I've been getting just walking around there is no way I could seriously think of going back to playing."

The 27-year-old, who joined the Dubliners from Cobh Ramblers, has been dogged with problems since injuring his right knee in a game with Sligo in September of last year. It quickly became apparent that, apart from a piece of bone having become dislodged from the knee, there were underlying problems and osteo-arthritis was diagnosed.

O'Rourke underwent surgery after which, he says "the doctors told me the knee was in a bad way", but made what briefly appeared to be a successful return to action with Shelbourne late last season when he was drafted into the team for the FAI Cup final. He performed well on the day and won the second winners' medal of his career. The following week, however, the injury flared up in training and having repeatedly delayed his return he has now decided that his only option is to call it a day.

The timing of the injury was particularly unfortunate for O'Rourke, who has been out of contract since the end of the season.

Nevertheless, he insisted yesterday that "Shelbourne have been very good to me", while the club's manager, Damien Richardson, spoke of the desire around Tolka Park to help him in any way possible. A testimonial match over the course of the coming season seems likely.

Richardson, meanwhile, paid tribute to the player he brought to Dublin. "Peter Hutton may have stolen the headlines last season as Derry won the title, but on his day John was the best player of that type - somebody who could get forward and score goals from midfield - in the country and he should have had six, seven even eight years ahead of him at the highest level.

"This is a terrible thing for him and for the club, but at the end of the day he is going to be retired for a very long time and he has to think of what is best for him in the years ahead."

O'Rourke's former club, Cobh Ramblers, hope to confirm Portsmouth player coach Martin Allen as the new manager at St Colman's Park before the end of the week.

A club spokesperson said yesterday that Allen, who was at Cobh's game with Bray Wanderers over the weekend, is under contract to the English side, where he is a reserve team player as well as having some coaching responsibilities, for the next 18 months, but that they are hoping to take Allen on loan until a final deal can be concluded.

"We want a player manager and we're impressed with him and he was happy with the set-up he saw when he came over, so we're hopeful of getting it sorted out as soon as possible. We need to come to an arrangement with Portsmouth, though. If that can't be done then the deal may still fall through so I wouldn't rule anything or anyone else who applied out quite yet."