@Steven McDonnell tweets a retirement announcement!

[mylestheslasher]

One of my favourite players, big strong and classy. He owes armagh nothing, all the best to him.

[ONeill]

Glad to hear this. He was the one player who put the shivers up me any time Tyrone and Armagh met. For me he was the best player of that 00-08 period in an Armagh shirt. Brilliant at finding the net when it mattered. The goal that stands out for me was his effort in the All-Ireland semi in 2005. Squeezed one in he never should have been attempting. Fantastic player and will torture club defenders for the next few years.

I got the impression he struggled to motivate himself fully when the great team was slowly dismantling. Did he score Armagh's final point in 2002?

[rrhf]

One of my favourite players, big strong and classy. He owes armagh nothing, all the best to him.

A great tribute debt paid in full

[Armamike]

Disappointed to hear this, especially coming so late in the season, though the signals he was sending out over the past few months suggested he had pretty much decided.  A great player.  Was a real gem of a find in the league in 99/2000, scoring points for fun that winter, and gave us a real extra forward threat that year to add to the previous year's McConville and Marsden axis.  Will remember his goal in the Ulster final in 2000 that proved the decisive score in that game, and of course the winning point in the AI final of 02, which was poetry in motion. 2003 was probably his best year, pretty much unmarkable that year.  Thanks for the memories Stevie - an Armagh legend!

[ONeill]

That was the other thing - his ability to win ball in the air against a much taller CB or FB, turn and back of the net. That's why he also was a terrific compromise rules player for Ireland.

[thejuice]

He has pretty much everything you'd want from a forward in Gaelic football. Its always a shame when a great player hangs them up but he's had a great career and never shied from it for his county or country.

[DuffleKing]

Glad to hear this. He was the one player who put the shivers up me any time Tyrone and Armagh met. For me he was the best player of that 00-08 period in an Armagh shirt. Brilliant at finding the net when it mattered. The goal that stands out for me was his effort in the All-Ireland semi in 2005. Squeezed one in he never should have been attempting. Fantastic player and will torture club defenders for the next few years.

I got the impression he struggled to motivate himself fully when the great team was slowly dismantling. Did he score Armagh's final point in 2002?

The first and the last points of the 2002 All Ireland final. played at an unbelievable level through 2003 in particular.

Too many memories to start listing. Legend.

[ck]

One of the greatest ever Armagh forwards. Strenge he would quit in April though. He has been made captain of his club this year too. Surely he should hang in there. Can you imagine him as a late impact sub in a c/ship game?

[Puckoon]

Pretty much unmarkable for the most part. Great to watch when not playing Tyrone. Robbed (cruelly, depending on which side of the Moy you're from) of glory in the dying minutes by Conor Gormley in '03. Two fantastic efforts from two fantastic players - one just got the last word that day. Could have been very different few years.

[Hardy]

My kind of footballer. Strangely enough, in the week that's in it, I can't think of a player more like John Egan. And it's hard to decide which of them that's a tribute to.

[Pangurban]

A real legend,who will be remembered for all the right reasons

[laceer]

Brilliant player. A point he scored in the 03 final will always stick in my mind - first half, caught the ball in the right corner in front of the hill, barely had the ball in his hands 'till he fired it over from an acute angle. I could do nothing but stand and applaud. Good luck to him

[armaghniac]

Brilliant player. A point he scored in the 03 final will always stick in my mind - first half, caught the ball in the right corner in front of the hill, barely had the ball in his hands 'till he fired it over from an acute angle. I could do nothing but stand and applaud. Good luck to him

This is one of my best memories also. I was sitting at the edge of the Cusack by the Hill. I remember saying to the Dub beside me that Armagh was in a good chance when we had a man like that on the team, and so it was as he nearly made the difference except for that famous block. 

Stevie (and Big Joe) spoke well on RTÉ this morning in the Morning Ireland sport at 8:30.
As Joe said, apart from being a brilliant finisher, he had "hands like a vice grips".

[mackers]

Sort of thought this was coming but still very disappointing....we were very lucky to have Stevie....he carried the Armagh forward line for the last number of years after the glory years of 00 to 06. I remember Gerard Houlahan telling a group of us in 1998 that Armagh's best forward wasn't even on the team that year....Marsden and McConville were starting to show their class at that time and I couldn't believe that we had a forward better than them....whether he was better than them is debatable but we were blessed to have these three.
Thanks Stevie for some wonderful memories...

[Sam2011]

Best of luck to him in the future. Was always a pleasure to watch. One of the best around in his time.