Injury forces former Pats and Rovers winger Sean O'Connor to retire

Former Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic winger Sean O'Connor has been forced to retire due to injury.

The Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland, of which O'Connor is a committee member, announced his retirement on Tuesday.

The Dubliner will return to his schoolboy club Crumlin United as Director of Coaching, while he and former team-mate Keith Fahey will be part of the senior side's coaching set-up.

During a ten-year playing career in the League of Ireland, 'Socky' had two separate stints with the Saints and Rovers, as well as a six-month spell with Limerick in the First Division.

O'Connor began his senior career with Crumlin in the Leinster Senior League before attracting the attention of then-Pats manager Johnny McDonnell, moving to Richmond Park ahead of the 2005 season.

He moved to Shamrock Rovers in 2008 and spent three seasons there, but injury problems restricted his role and he was released in 2010 despite helping the Hoops to a league title in his final season.

Following a short spell with Limerick, O'Connor returned to Inchicore and was named in the PFAI team of the season as the Saints ended a 14-year dry spell by officially winning the Premier Division title.

He returned to Shamrock Rovers the following year and spent another three years with the Hoops before an ankle injury suffered against Limerick at Tallaght Stadium brought a premature end to his spell at the club.