McCormack calls time on his playing career
Midfielder was just the fifth man to captain Tribesmen to silverware with capture of 2023 First Division title
Conor McCormack played his 151st game for Galway United last Saturday when coming off the bench in the 3-2 win over Sligo Rovers.
It was also his last - not only for United, but his last as a professional footballer, as the 36-years-old hangs up his boots to take up a job with the FAI in its underage international set-up.
"It's an international coaching role within the FAI to help the pathway for the young players coming through the underage system, and to help them and to be with them during camps and training and their European qualifiers, World Cup qualifiers, all of that," McCormack says.
His new role was announced in May, but the FAI were happy to wait for him for a couple of months, which allowed him hit the magical 150-mark in terms of appearances for United when he started against St Patrick's Athletic a fortnight ago, becoming just the 40th player to hit that number for United.
"It's exactly something that I wanted to do, and we've been in talks with the club and the FAI have been brilliant, they extended it.
"Galway United were happy for me, you know, someone from the club that's helped out at the Academy levels and straight through, and on and off the pitch, to go on to this role, and I'm really looking forward to my future," he says.
He turned 36 in May, and while he hasn't been a regular starter for United in the past two seasons - a lengthy injury last season didn't help in that regard - he certainly still had some mileage in the legs.
"I had 20 years as a professional footballer this year and I've given everything, I've given all I can and I have a new chapter coming up and I'm looking forward to it.
"Yeah, look, I enjoyed every minute playing and I could probably still play on a little bit, you know, I'm not sure that I'm as fresh as I was 10 years ago, but I kept fit.
"Last year was a tough year for me with the injuries, and poor Ollie [Horgan] passing as well was tough, but we survived at the end of last year and it was brilliant down in Waterford and that team spirit," he says of the 1-1 draw on the final day of the season that saw United avoid the relegation play-off, which Waterford went on to win against Bray Wanderers.
"I still had that drive and I wanted to give it another go, another year, but this popped up, and I'm really looking forward to it.
"I'm going to learn from some brilliant coaches up there also, and it's exactly what I wanted to do.
“When I was a kid, I wanted to play for Ireland and lucky enough I did when I was underage, and I want to help them with all my experience and to give something back," he says - he played at both U-17 and U-19 level for the Republic of Ireland.
He leaves United with his name forever etched in the club's history books, having been just the fifth man to lift silverware as United captain, and just the second to lift a league trophy.
Dennis Bonner captained the club to the 1985/86 League Cup, with Johnny Glynn lifting the FAI Cup in 1990/91. The club won the 1992/93 First Division title with Noel Mernagh as captain; and Derek Rogers wore the armband when a second League Cup was landed in 1996/97. The club had a 26 year wait for its next pot before McCormack, who joined United ahead of the 2021 season, led the Tribesmen to the League of Ireland First Division title at a canter in 2023, finishing 25 points ahead of second-placed Waterford.
"It was a privilege and I cherished every moment. I left everything out in the pitch, and that's something I'm really proud of, but unfortunately the time has come [to retire], and I think it's the right time, and I am going on to the next chapter of my career," he says.