Gary Brennan is not closing the door on a future inter-county return with the Clare footballers, having opted out for 2020.
Speaking to RTÉ 2FM Game On's Marie Crowe, the 31-year-old explained why he chose to step away this year and contrasted his decision with the trend of players retiring early or opting out of inter-county duty.
"I consider myself a little bit different to some of the cases of guys taking a year out," he said.
"I'm 31 now and I've played with Clare since I was 17, since I did my Leaving Cert. I did 13 full seasons and was fortunate enough that I got a great run at it at that time and never suffered any major injuries or miss a Championship game.
"Some people make big retirement announcements. I didn't feel like doing that and if at the end of this year I feel like going back and playing and I'm still wanted, maybe I have that option there.
"But for me it was just to try something different in life and see what else is there and it was a fantastic pastime for me and I really enjoyed it.
"But there was no major one catalyst or anything like that. I'm going to try and take advantage of the time that I'll have now from not being involved at inter-county level.
"But I just felt a natural progression for me in life rather than one big major decision."
However, the word "retirement" is one that he is not contemplating just yet.
"It's not a word I really use or a word I think of using. Who knows what could happen in a few years or a few months down the line," he said.
"Someone might change their mind and decide they want to play again. It's not a word I'm going to use or have used.
"From the moment I decided that I wasn't going to be involved, I really wanted the focus to be on the players that are there and are involved.
"I think we spend too much time talking about the guys that aren't playing."
That being said, not having the routine of an inter-county footballer for the first time in his adult life is something the secondary school teacher is still getting to grips with.
"It's been a little bit strange. For 13 years, I was used to the same routine at this time of year, looking for one league game to the next," he said.
"But it was my own decision, my own call not to be involved. So I'm certainly quite content.
"I had 13 great years playing in the jersey and I just wanted to try something different for a while.
"I went to see the guys straight after the weekend which was a little bit of a strange experience watching on but good to see them get a good win."
You can listen to the full interview and his Allianz Football League weekend preview on Friday night's Game On on RTÉ 2FM.
