RHYS MARSHALL RETIRES l30a

Rhys Marshall has retired from professional football. 4r4c15

“There is no single reason for my decision,” he said. “It is a series of things. It has been in my mind for a while, but I think now is the right time.”

The 30 year old was keen to emphasise that there has been no difference of opinion with Paddy McLaughlin. “I have nothing but respect for Paddy. He has done a great job since he was appointed,” the Lurgan man continued. “However, I stepped back from full time to go part time, and an extra session was added which made things difficult.”

Ironically, in the final weeks of the 2024-25 campaign, Rhys had shaken off a niggle some ankle injury and was pushing for a regular starting place. “I have had one or two knocks in the last few years which have restricted my availability. Last season it was much harder to recover after training, let alone, games, than it was five or ten years ago. That is another factor,” he added. “But, as I have said, it is a combination of things.”

Marshall ed Glenavon in 2011. He had spent the previous five years in the Linfield Academy. David Maguire and Mark Pollock, then under-16’s coaches, spotted him and persuaded him to change club.

“Davy spoke to my parents, and they agreed to the move,” he recalled. “It turned out to be a good decision.”

Almost immediately Gary Hamilton identified him as a young player of considerable potential. In February 2013 he made his senior debut in a 6-1 victory against Richhill in the Mid-Ulster Cup. In August 2013 he made his first Premiership appearance in a 2-2 draw with Coleraine.

In April 2016 he was an integral member of the team which overcame Linfield 2-0 at the new National Stadium to clinch a second Irish Cup win in three seasons.

“The two cup successes are the highlights of my career,” he explained. “I was young and probably didn’t fully appreciate how special those moments were. There was also the fact that we were a top side at that time. It wasn’t a big surprise when we defeated Linfield. But, looking back, to win two Irish Cups in three years was a great achievement.”

Rhys’ other career high point was his 93^rd minute Boxing Day winner against Portadown during the 2015-16 campaign. He headed home from Gary Hamilton’s pinpoint corner kick.

“The fact that the goal was so late, so important, and against our neighbours in front of a packed stadium made it very special,” he said. “It is hard to believe it was almost ten years ago.”

Marshall also found the net in July 2018 when Glenavon defeated Molde 2-1 at Mourneview Park in the Europa League. Erling Haaland, then a precocious teenager, was the Norwegians’ centre forward.

During the first half the right back headed home from an Andy Hall corner kick to cancel out an early strike by the visitors. Then, midway through the second period, he made a surging run deep into opposition territory and laid the ball into the path of Josh Daniels who istered the coupe de gras.

“When I scored, I didn’t imagine that it would be the springboard for us to go on and win the match,” he recalled. “It was an amazing performance and result.”

Rhys played the final game of his first spell in early January 2020, an Irish Cup 5^th round tie against Coleraine at Mourneview Park. Between 2013 and 2020 he made 261 starts and eight substitute appearances. During the 2011-2020 period no member of the Glenavon squad played more often.

A few days later Marshall left to top League of Ireland club, Shamrock Rovers. He won a Premier Division title medal in his debut season.

“Rovers are a big club,” he said. “They have a huge and are very professional in everything they do. But life in Dublin was very different to what I had known. It took me a while to adjust. Then the opportunity to Glentoran came along.”

In December 2020 Marshall put pen to paper for Mick McDermott and Paul Millar’s side. During three and a half seasons with the East Belfast men he did not win a trophy and, for the first time in his career, had to grapple with recurring injuries.

“We had a brilliant squad, but were ultimately not successful,” he said. “I had a good time there with many ups and downs.”

In 2024 he returned to Glenavon. He was the club’s stand-out g of the last summer transfer window.

Now more often a midfielder than a defender, he battled against injury for most of the 2024-25 season. He played the full 90 minutes in the vital 2-0 away success against Ballymena United in December and made important cameo appearances in the 2-0 Boxing Day victory over Portadown and the mid-January 3-2 win at Dungannon Swifts.

“It was a tough season for both me and the club,” he reflected. “We struggled until Paddy and Colin Coates came in. At that stage the big target was to avoid relegation. In the end, we did that comfortably. I would like to have contributed more, but I had a lot of trouble with my ankle and eventually had to have an injection. Then, when we started to perform well, I couldn’t get into the starting eleven.”

In total, Rhys made 299 first team appearances for Glenavon (280 starts,19 as substitute), scored 40 goals and provided 41 assists.

During his first spell, he got on particularly well with team-mates James Singleton and Andy McGrory. Those relationships have endured. “The three of us are in regular and still meet up,” he said. “They are two of my closest friends in football.”

Looking back, the Northern Ireland Under-21 international is particularly grateful for all the help and encouragement which he received from Gary Hamilton. “Gary gave me my debut. I am grateful to him for that,” he said. “He worked out very early the type of person I am and how best to get the best out of me. He gave me the freedom to be more than a defender and get forward when I wanted to. That was a big part of my game.”

Rhys was also keen to acknowledge former chairman Adrian Teer and thank Glenavon’s directors and ers. “They were all good to me,” he said. “I was always made to feel wanted. I am sorry that I cannot continue but I leave with some fabulous memories.”