Roscommon's Conor Shanagher has been forced to retire from football at the age of just 20 due to concussion.

A highly-promising midfielder who was a member of the Roscommon U20 team that reached this year's Connacht final, Shanagher was concussed during a club game in September and suffered 'excruciating headaches' as a result. He has since been advised by a leading neurologist to avoid all contact sports.

"On Sunday the 23rd of September of this year we were playing a county quarter-final against Oran," the Kilbride clubman recalled in a three-part blog. 

"Halfway through the second half I jumped for a kick-out and woke up to the physio asking me to count to 10. I did so with no problems but was taken off two minutes later. This is when the headaches started. It appeared that I was knocked out for a few seconds.

"I returned to college that evening due to start my final year studies the following morning. Once I reached Maynooth I feel asleep instantly and woke the next morning feeling horrible. Excruciating headaches, incredibly fatigued and in a horrible mood. I knew I was suffering another concussion due to past experiences. I’m afraid I have suffered many concussions over the years, but the symptoms were never this bad."

Conor Shanagher was awarded man-of-the-match after Roscommon's Connacht U20FC quarter-final victory over Sligo in June.

On meeting with neurologist Dr Doherty after undergoing an MRI scan, he continued: "He sat mam and myself down and gave me the worst news imaginable. He highly advised me to stop playing gaelic football and any other contact sports with immediate effect. I was just stunned and kind of froze to be honest. The thought of retiring at 20 for the sport I have spent so much time playing was scary.

"He reminded both of us of the dangers of returning to contact sport would have for me and told me stories of sportspeople who suffer with mental health issues in the later years due to concussions. A long drive home to Roscommon then followed with not much being said."

Conor now plans to get involved with underage coaching in his club.

Be sure to follow the hoganstand.com match tracker for all the Sunday afternoon provincial club SFC action including the Connacht and Munster finals, plus the Leinster semi-finals.

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