FORMER WEXFORD FOOTBALLER Scott Doran has died at the age of 44.

Doran, who made his inter-county debut in 1992, represented the Model County for over 14 seasons and is “nationally recognised as one of our top footballers,” the Wexford county board said in a short statement posted on Sunday.

The Kilmore clubman also spent time in England and lined out for London in the 2004 championship before returning home to the purple and gold.

Former Mayo star Conor Mortimer paid tribute to Doran’s “wand of a left peg”, while Kilmore remembered “the man many refer to as our greatest ever player”.

“From a very early age it was very clear that Scott was a special talent,” they wrote, “whether it was watching this diminutive eight-year-old drive a hurling ball up and down the sports field in Bridgetown with a full-size hurl or watching him kicking the ball back from behind the goal to men’s teams in the pitch in Kilmore, it became very clear very early we had something special on our hands.

Not many kids that age were known simply by their first name but everyone knew who you spoke about when you simply said the name ‘Scott’.

They added: “For anyone lucky enough to see Scott play memories will be plentiful, cherish them as you seen a magician in action. Scott possessed a wand of a left foot, a brain too fast for many and the strength of a lion.

“A dark shadow hangs over the pitch today but when the gates open again in the spring people will again talk about Scott and his many great feats, his goals, his points. We were truly blessed to call him one of our own and Scott will never ever be forgotten.

“Rest easy up there our friend and team mate.”