Athlone footballer announces his retirement
Alan Sheehan has announced his retirement as a player today after more than 400 appearances in professional football in England.
Featuring mainly as a left back and as a central defender later in his career, Sheehan had carved out a lengthy career in England spanning almost 19 seasons.
Renowned for his lethal free kicks and set piece deliveries, Sheehan was a fans favourite at many of his clubs and was captain at both Luton Town and Notts County.
In a tweet, the Athlone man (35) said he had "played with some great clubs,great players and met some great people in my career."
He said he had experienced "a great transition into coaching full time" over the last few years and said he "can’t wait for the next chapter."
Sheehan began his professional career with Leicester City whom he joined in 2003 before earning his first team debut at the end of the 2004-2005 season.
The Coosan man has since lined out with clubs including Leeds United, Notts County, Bradford and Swindon Town.
Highlights of his career include captaining Luton Town to the Division One title in 2019 and being selected in the PFA League Two team of the year in 2017/18.
He was also capped at Ireland Under 21 level
Sheehan was most recently a player coach with Oldham Athletic.