Westmeath's veteran half back Damien Healy looks to have played his last game for the county after revealing that he will set off on a year-long trip around the world next month. The news is a huge setback to the Lake County's hopes of wresting the Leinster title away from Dublin next year, and given the fact that he turns 33 next June and has a long history of knee trouble, the chances of him making a comeback in 2010 seem remote. The Rochfortbridge man, who plays his club football with Salthill-Knocknacarra in Galway, previously retired after last year's championship, only to be coaxed back by manager Tomas O Flatharta for this year's campaign. But it would now seem that the last July's narrow All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Tyrone - in which he was red-carded for an incident involving Brian Dooher - was his last in the maroon jersey. Healy said: "It's probably more beneficial to the team if I get out at this stage. I don't want to be hanging around for the next five years - if I get out now, it's easier and some guy will have to come in and replace me. "I need to get away for a year. I haven't had much time off -- it's always football, football, football." The computer technican explained that travelling overseas is something he always wanted to do, and that he wants to get away before it's "too late". The 2004 Leinster championship medalist, who was handed his senior debut by then Westmeath manager Barney Rock in 1996, will begin his trip in Asia next month. Fellow veteran Martin Flanagan is expected to commit himself to the cause for another season after a knee injury greatly curtailed his championship involvement this year. Tweet

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