Cillian O'Connor withdraws from Mayo GAA squad in major setback

Mayo manager Kevin McStay will be without the services of all-time championship top scorer Cillian O'Connor for the 2025 season.

While the prolific Ballintubber ace and two-time All-Star has not officially announced his retirement, his decision to withdrawn from the squad may well signal it.

He has been plagued by serious injuries in recent years.

He suffered a serious Achilles injury in 2021 and two years later he endured another spell on the sidelines due to a hamstring problem.

O’Connor surpassed Colm Cooper in 2019 to become the highest scoring player in the championship and also holds the record for a single championship game, scoring 4-9 in the 2020 All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary.

His last match for Mayo was when he was introduced as a substitute in last summer's preliminary quarter-final defeat against Derry in the championship series.

There is speculation of other players also withdrawing from McStay's squad ahead of the new season.