"I know it's the right thing to do, but it's not easy to give up something you've been doing for most of your life. People don't understand the huge void that it leaves."

So says former Tyrone star Enda McGinley, who was recently forced to bring the curtain down on his glittering football career due to injury. Playing for his club Errigal Ciaran in a league match against Moy a few weeks ago, the 32-year-old took a heavy fall which caused an injury to his neck.

Having famously broken his neck in the early stages of Tyrone's historic 2003 All-Ireland final win over Armagh, and played on (he spent several weeks afterwards in a neck brace), this latest injury was simply one too many and it was with a heavy heart that Enda decided to hang up his boots on the advice of medical professionals.

"Medical opinion was that I should stop playing immediately," he explains.

"After the neck injury I suffered in the 2003 All-Ireland final, I couldn't afford another one in that part of the body. If I played on, I would be putting my long-term health at risk.

"I knew it was time to call it a day when I started to suffer severe pain and weakness in my left arm five or six days after the game. The arm is still only working at about 30 per cent, but all opinions would suggest that it will recover fully in time."

Despite having won virtually honour the game has to offer, McGinley admits he never grew tired of winning and was looking forward to the prospect of helping Errigal Ciaran retain their Tyrone SFC crown in the coming weeks. As it turned out, captaining his beloved club to last year's O'Neill Cup success was the last big achievement in his career.

"We are playing Dromore in what is a repeat of last year's county final in the first round of the championship and it's disappointing to think I won't be out there with the lads. I know I can't have any complaints after the career I've had, but nothing beats playing," he says.

"When I retired from inter-county at the end of 2011, my intention was to give the club four or five good years. To win the county championship with them last year was massive because it was the first year I was able to give them 100 per cent commitment.

"I don't think it (retirement) will hit me until the winter months. That's usually the time of the year when you take a break and starting planning for next year."

One of the most versatile players of the past decade, Enda bows out with a stack of medals and honours to his name. A member of Mickey Harte's All-Ireland minor winning team of 1998, he added two All-Ireland U21 medals to his collection in 2000 and 2001. In 2003, he was part of the Tyrone senior team that achieved a National League and All-Ireland double before going on to pick up further All-Ireland medals in 2005 and 2008.

His superb performances at midfield earned him an All Star in 2008, while he also represented Ireland in the International Rules series that year. His other honours include four Ulster SFC medals, four Tyrone SFC medals and an Ulster club SFC medal which was garnered in 2002.

"2008 was my best year," he remembers.

"2005 was also great up until I picked up a leg injury in the All-Ireland semi-final against Armagh. I returned to play in the All-Ireland final, but suffered a cruciate ligament injury a couple of months after that. The year before that, I fractured my skull in training, so I've had a fair few injuries over the years."

So what's next for the affable physiotherapist who's based in Craigavon Hospital? Married to Geardine, who won All-Ireland junior ladies football medals with Antrim in 2009 and 2012 and is a sister of Saffron stars Michael and Tomas McCann, Enda has two young children, James and Catherine, to keep him busy, but the lure of the GAA is such that he is almost certain to stay in the game in some capacity.

He has impressed as a TV pundit on the BBC this summer, while management is something he could also try his hand at in the future.

"I enjoy the punditry. 'Mugsy' (Owen Mulligan) had signed up for the year to do the TV work on BBC, but when he couldn't do it a few weeks ago, I stood in for the All-Ireland quarter-final double-header involving Cavan and Kerry, and Mayo and Donegal. It seemed to go well, so we'll see… I've been doing work for BBC Radio for a while and I really enjoy it.

"I was very fortunate to play on some great teams and under a great manager like Mickey Harte. Having played under Mickey and other top managers at club level, I know there's a skill and an art to it (management). I'll like to try it at some stage, but not before I get some coaching experience at underage level with the club first."

Needless to say, Tyrone's big All-Ireland SFC semi-final showdown with Sam Maguire favourites Mayo on Sunday is very much in Enda's thoughts at present. If anything, he expects the fierce criticism which was directed at the Red Hands and, Sean Cavanagh in particular, by Joe Brolly following the controversial quarter-final victory over Monaghan to spur them on.

"There is no doubt that Mayo have been playing at a higher level and if both teams play to their capability Mayo should win, but it doesn't always go like that," he points out.

"All of this circus will take the pressure off Tyrone. They have enough good footballers to put it up to Mayo. Mayo were very focused on Donegal and they just want to get to the final now. The semi-final is a game to be got out of the way as far as they're concerned. I've been in that position before and I know how vulnerable it can leave you.

"Tyrone have huge motivation and Mickey Harte's job is to control that, not to allow them to be over-psyched. It's set up for an intriguing clash. I just hope that Maurice Deegan (referee) isn't going to be influenced by what has been said in the media and that Sean Cavanagh won't be unfairly treated."

Tyrone's progress to the last four of the championship has surprised many, but McGinley believes they are there on merit and that the best is still to come from Mickey Harte's new-look side.

"They've done excellently this year - they showed in Division 1 and this year's championship that they are able to compete with the best of teams. They've ticked a lot of boxes," he enthuses.

"They've been very workmanlike, and the challenge now is to combine that with their natural football ability. I think there's more in this Tyrone team and there will need to be against Mayo because the performances to date won't be good enough. I've been very impressed with the way the younger lads have stood up. They've won a number of tight games and that is something we took a lot of confidence from in the past.

"They are a motivated, confident team with little pressure and that's a great position to be in going into an All-Ireland semi-final. When you look at it, Mayo's position is much more difficult. I wouldn't be surprised if Tyrone won. I believe the quality is there to produce a winning performance. We have a knack of saving our best performances for the big occasions."

The three-time All-Ireland winner stresses the importance of Tyrone staying in the game for as long as possible.

"Mayo are a quality team. They break for the back, their strength in midfield gives them a major platform and they have great speed. Their penchant for scoring goals is remarkable. And I don't think they've been given enough credit for the ferocity of their tackling.

"The first thing Tyrone have to do is to keep it tight. The longer we can keep it competitive, the better. Mayo haven't been in a battle so far this year and Tyrone need to test them. We need to stop them from scoring goals as well, but that's easier said than done."

While Tyrone's decision to compile a fact sheet - which counters accusations of cynical play - drew a mixed reaction last week, Enda feels something had to be done to answer their critics.

"The media coverage has been exceptionally one-sided. Most of the media haven't made any attempt to say this is why we're picking on Tyrone, so that's why the fact sheet was produced. I'm sure it's been difficult for the management and players to work against that tide of sensationalist-style claims.

"I don't know if the fact sheet will have changed a lot of people's opinions, but at least the facts are out there now.

"Over the years, we've been involved in some fantastic matches, yet that has always been coloured by a few comments about cynical tactics. The 'puke football' line has stuck, and that's very hard for a lot of Tyrone people to take," he concludes. Tweet

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