Pete McGrath has attributed the recent spate of retirements to the increasing demands being placed on inter-county players.

Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan (both Kilkenny), Stephen O'Neill (Tyrone), Declan O'Sullivan (Kerry) and Benny Coulter (Down) are among the high-profile GAA stars who have called it a day in the past couple of weeks.

"The life of an inter-county footballer is a hard life; a lot of things have to go by the wayside," the Fermanagh manager is quoted in the Irish News.

"The bar is now set very high. The players are expected to do so many things; strength and conditioning, group sessions or sessions on their own during the course of the week, pitch sessions and they're obviously expected to be careful and regimented about their diet.

"If any player is serious about giving himself a chance of succeeding at inter-county level, then it is quite an intense lifestyle and it definitely takes a toll. There is only so long you can keep doing it."

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