Aidan O'Mahony says that the emergence of a fresh crop of talented Kerry footballers made his decision to retire from inter-county duty "an easy one".
The 36-year-old defender announced the end of his time in the green and gold jersey today, bowing out with an incredible five All-Ireland titles and two All Stars.
"It's been fantastic. I'm very honoured and very blessed," he told 2fm's Game On.
"When you're involved 14 years you go through a dressing room with so many players and legends of the game.
"When you look back at the Kerry golden years and you're putting on the same jersey as those players wore, it's a massive honour.
"Being part of that whole journey was a fantastic opportunity and something I feel very blessed to have done."
"It's about Kerry football, it's not about the players. Every player is replaceable"
The Rathmore clubman says that with players from the three-in-a-row minor winning team (2014-16) starting to break through and him turning 37 next summer, the decision to hang up his boots was in the county's best interests.
"It's about Kerry football, it's not about the players. Every player is replaceable," he said.
"I thought long and hard about it over the winter months, about what I had to offer and the commitment you have to give to football now.
"You have to give 110% and I asked myself whether I would be able to give that. I thought maybe I wasn't in that position and I wasn't going to jeopardise Kerry for myself.
"The decision in the finish was easy. For the better of Kerry football and if you were trying to win an All-Ireland, you'd want the younger players coming through, and they are coming through now.
"Three in a row is a hard thing to do. Those lads have come through winning All-Irelands so they'll have confidence.
"A few of them came through last year into the senior set up. Brian Begley, Tom O'Sullivan, Killian Spillane and these guys weren't standing back, they were coming in kind of saying 'I'm going to take your jersey'."
O'Mahony said that sharing his entire playing career with Marc Ó Sé had been a privilege and that defeat to Dublin in last year's All-Ireland semi-final - ultimately the final game for both - felt like "the end of an era".
"I played with Marc O Se the whole way up," said O'Mahony. "He'd be as stubborn as myself. Every year we would go back in January and talk about the young lads coming through and size them up.
"We'd have the mentality every year that we'd have to beat them in the runs.
"He was a fantastic guy. When he rang me in October to tell me he was retiring my heart nearly sunk because when you've played with a fella since 1998 for the minors you don't want it to end.
"After the All-Ireland semi-final last year we stayed on longer on the pitch after and it just kind of happened that I went up to Marc and had a bit of a hug. It was kind of the end of an era."
Donnchadh Walsh reacts to Aidan O'Mahony's Kerry retirement and tips him for a bright future on the dance floor... #AllianzLeagues #DWTSIrl pic.twitter.com/X8dzS35eDi
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) January 23, 2017
Amid much debate on the expectations put on modern inter-county players, O'Mahony said that players were making a conscious choice to give up their time and suggested that training and playing games presented a healthier way to socialise.
"The great thing about GAA is that it's amateur sport and that's why players love it," he said.
"A lot of people talk about the pressures and demands on players and that people have no social life.
"But the way I look at is that players that want to play for their county (do it) because they want to wear that jersey, and it's a fantastic thing to see.
"Fellas are sacrificing their lives but the social scene now is going to the gym and being on the pitch and training. It's mental health and fitness and it's a great thing to see."
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