October 22nd, 2017

Statement from Cian O’Neill in relation to Emmet Boltons retirement from inter county football:

“On behalf of the Management, Backroom and Players of the Kildare Senior Football Team, I would like to congratulate Emmet on an outstanding career representing his county with honour and distinction, both on and off the field. He has truly been an outstanding servant to the jersey and those he represents, both from his club and county and we all, as Kildare people and fans, are indebted to him for his dedication, sacrifice and efforts in making Kildare a competitive force over the course of his career.

With over 100 competitive appearances (109 in total) and 9-43 to his name, many of which were critical scores in crucial games, Emmet was one of the new breed of attacking half backs that struck fear into opposing half forwards with his attacking style of play as well as marshalling his defensive duties with fearless and fearsome dedication. His consistent high standards on the field of battle led to him being named in the 2010 Opel GPA Team of the Year while in 2011 he was nominated for an All Star Award and was part of the Ireland team that won the International Rules Series against Australia. Throughout his 11 year career, he has been a model professional in terms of his preparation, leadership and performance on the field and consistently drove standards in the high performance environment that is inter-county football.

All of us who had the honour of soldiering alongside Emmet in various capacities, and in particular the younger generations who have joined the squad in recent years, are all the richer for that experience.

I wish Emmet and Leanne all the very best for the next chapter in their lives together and no doubt we’ll see him back on the field in years to come in a coaching capacity preparing the next generation for success in the Kildare jersey.

Go n-éirí on bóthar leat a chara.”