TYRONE man Conor McKenna has told his AFL club Essendon that he is retiring from the sport, effective immediately.

The Eglish man played 79 times for the Bombers but endured a difficult year. He tested positive for Covid-19, which later turned out to be a false positive, while he also received criticism for playing for Eglish back in November.

It’s good news for Tyrone fans, and Mickey Harte will no doubt be keeping an eye on the situation.

“I do really feel the time is now right for me to return home to Ireland,” McKenna told the Essendon website.

“I’ve made no secret of the fact that at some point, I’d want to be returning home to my family and I’ve been weighing up the decision recently. It’s been a difficult year for everyone, but it’s also been a chance to take stock and weigh up several things in my life, so the time is right.”