All-Ireland winning defender Neil McGee has announced his retirement from inter-county football at the age of 37.

McGee lined-out at full-back in Donegal’s last Sam Maguire Cup success a decade ago and also went on to collect five Ulster SFC titles and three All-Star awards during a glittering career.

Having made his senior inter-county debut in 2005, McGee would be a key figure in the Tir Chonaill men’s rise under Jim McGuinness that landed their county’s first All-Ireland SFC crown in 20 years in 2012.

He spent most of the McGuinness era playing in the full-back line alongside his brother Eamon.

McGee was also full-back when his native Gaoth Dobhair won the Ulster club SFC title in 2018.

He confirmed his decision to retire from inter-county duty in an interview with the Donegal News released this morning (Thursday).

"The body just doesn't have anything left to give," he stated on his decision. "I thought long and hard about last year, going back I mean. And with Declan (Bonner) staying on, I decided to give it one more shot.

"But with the back playing up like it did after that injury the season before, I just didn’t feature like I would have wanted. So it was a much easier decision this time around.

"What ever is left in the tank now I intend to give it all to Gaoth Dobhair. I missed so much there over the years because of what we were trying to achieve with Donegal."

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