Injury has forced Monaghan midfielder Owen Lennon to retire from the inter-county scene.

Lennon, who enjoyed his proudest moment in a Monaghan jersey when captaining the county to a first Ulster title in 25 years in 2013, has revealed that a battered ankle was largely behind his decision to hang up his boots.

The Latton man, who turns 35 later in the month, told the Irish Independent: "I was advised that my ankle has had enough trauma. It's time to leave it."

Lennon had earlier been blighted by a serious back problem, but eventually enjoyed a complete recovery from that problem, admitting: "I got over my back problems 100%.

"I had an ankle operation then in 2014. I got back after that but it hasn't been right ever since. I was at about 80 or 90% last year."

A Sigerson Cup winner with DCU during his college days, Lennon missed just one championship match with the Monaghan between making his debut against Fermanagh in 2002 and 2014.

The influential midfielder went on to win a second Anglo Celt Cup with Monaghan last summer when Conor McManus captained the side.