VETERAN DERRY FORWARD Benny Heron has confirmed his decision to retire from inter-county football.

Heron won two Ulster medals with Derry towards the end of an inter-country career which spanned over a decade, scoring two goals against Monaghan in a famous provincial semi-final victory in 2022.

But the Ballinascreen legend, who doesn’t turn 33 until next March, explained that the pace of the game at its highest level means that he no longer feels he can contribute to his county team to his satisfaction.

“Physically, I started to struggle a wee bit in terms of the speed of the game,” Heron told The Irish News.

“The pace of the game at the minute is at another level and I just felt I was being left behind a wee bit.

All I ever wanted to do was play for Derry and I’ve loved every minute of it. I’d love them to win an All-Ireland. Do I wish I was part of it? Absolutely, but if I’m not in a position to contribute, then the decision is a bit easier.

“People have been asking me recently about staying on because they’re saying we’re so close. But there’s so much that goes into it between now and July. There’s a mountain of work just to get back to that stage and go a stage further. Mentally, I just don’t think I could contribute another year.”

Heron made his league debut for Derry against Wexford in 2013. A championship bow against Down followed that summer.

He intends to continue to play for his club, Ballinascreen, with whom he won an Ulster League title last year.