CIARAN Kilkenny dug out a childhood photo of him playing against Brian Fenton while paying tribute upon the latter’s retirement.
Still only 31, Fenton will leave behind a huge playing and leadership void for The Dubs to try and fill in 2025 and beyond.
This photo has cropped up over the years so it was especially apt yesterday[/caption]
Fenton made his Dublin debut in 2015 while Kilkenny made his bow in 2012[/caption]
But looking back rather than looking forward, Kilkenny reshared a by now famous image of their days as youngsters for Castleknock and Raheny respectively.
A follow-up snap of them lining out for Dublin together was then accompanied by a heartfelt message reflecting on their journey through the ranks together.
He said: “From this to this. Competing against you and then building a special bond and telepathy on the pitch for over 20 years.
“Thanks for all the memories. Always looked up to you.”
Another stalwart of Dublin’s dominance over the past decade or so in Paul Flynn has predicted that Fenton’s loss could prove to be a real doomsday scenario.
The Sunday Game pundit even went as far as to suggest they could have their struggles to retain the Leinster Championship going forward.
He told Second Captains: “It’s catastrophic, it’s actually unrecoverable.
“I would go as far as to say they will be under pressure in Leinster.
“If they had lost four or five players, I still believe they could have built a competitive team with Fento in midfield.
“You could actually regenerate the squad with him there because he’s so good he’ll at least have a presence in midfield, fill in a couple of centre roles and carry a couple of players.”
The news came just two weeks after nine-time All-Ireland winner James McCarthy retired from the inter-county game.
Flynn, who won Sam Maguire four times alongside Fenton, added: “If I’m Ger Brennan now, if I’m Robbie Brennan going in at Meath, if I’m Brian Flanagan in Kildare, you’re getting confidence from this, you’re sniffing blood.
“It’s not a slam dunk, but they’re coming back to the pack something fierce with James McCarthy and Brian Fenton gone.”
Flynn reckons other Dubs veterans could yet call it a day.
The four-time All-Star added: “The mumblings that were going on last week were there were a couple of people who were going to be leaving.
“Names weren’t put out there, so there could be more to follow.
“If anyone was sitting on the fence and now Fento goes, they are just probably going to go because they would know how important a player he is to Dublin.
“I’d be surprised if there weren’t any more.
“There is no doubt in my mind that Dublin will not be the same force they were over the last decade. It will be a complete rebuild.”
Dublin’s county board hailed Fenton for ‘ten remarkable seasons’ in their statement.
The midfielder, who also claimed six All-Stars and was twice named Footballer of the Year, played his last game for Farrell’s side when the Sky Blues relinquished the Sam Maguire Cup with a quarter-final loss to Galway at Croke Park last June.
County board chairman Mick Seavers said: “Brian was an integral figure in the incredible success enjoyed by Dublin over the past decade.
“He is a hugely talented footballer and fan favourite who will forever be considered one of the greatest players to grace the field in a blue jersey.
“We thank Brian for his unwavering commitment to Dublin football.
“We wish him and his family all the best going forward and look forward to welcoming him back to Parnell Park as he continues to play with his club Raheny.”
