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League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Alan Judge celebrates scoring for Ireland in 2018.Ryan Byrne/INPHO FreeEnd of the road 'I’ve been lucky enough to live out my dream' - Former Ireland international Alan Judge retires Dubliner says ‘representing my country at senior level will always be my proudest moment’ as he calls time aged 36. 5.28pm, 3 Nov 2025 Share options FORMER REPUBLIC OF Ireland international Alan Judge has announced his retirement from professional football. The 36-year-old Dubliner calls time on a near 20-year pro career which began at Blackburn Rovers after moving from St Joseph’s Boys in 2006. Judge, who generally played as a midfielder, went on to make almost 500 senior appearances in English football, mostly at Brentford, Notts County and Ipswich Town. He was capped nine times at senior level for Ireland, most recently in 2019, while he scored once: against USA in a June 2018 friendly win. “Representing my country at senior level will always be my proudest moment — one I’ll never forget. All any Irish kid dreams of doing is to pull on that green jersey and represent their country,” Judge wrote in a heartfelt statement on social media today. The son of former Shamrock Rovers and Bray Wanderers player Dermot, Judge was capped at every underage level for Ireland. Advertisement Judge celebrates scoring for Brentford against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup in 2018.Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Promotion to the Championship with Brentford in 2014, and Championship and League One Team of the League inclusions, were among other highlights. Judge also came through serious injury, including a leg fracture which ruled him out of Euro 2016. “I’m proud of what I achieved, but even more proud of the journey,” he acknowledged. Having most recently represented National League side Braintree Town, Judge now hopes to stay involved in football and help young players coming through. Alan Judge’s retirement statement: “After 20 years in professional football since I moved to England, I’ve decided it’s time to hang up the boots. “Football has been my life since I was a kid, and I’ve been lucky enough to live out my dream for so many years. From the highs to the setbacks, the dressing rooms, the fans — every bit of it has meant something to me. “I’m proud of what I achieved, but even more proud of the journey. I’ve come through some major injuries that could’ve ended my career, along with other setbacks along the way, but with my inner strength, discipline, the right people and family around me, I came back each time. Those moments showed me what resilience is. “To my wife Emma — thank you for everything. You’ve been my rock through it all. The support, the sacrifices, the patience, and the love you’ve shown me, especially through the lows… I’ll never be able to thank you enough. None of this would’ve been possible without you. “To my Mam (RIP), Dad, sisters and my kids — thank you for always believing in me and being there every step of the way. Judge on the ball for Ireland.Tommy Dickson / INPHO Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO “Representing my country at senior level will always be my proudest moment — one I’ll never forget. All any Irish kid dreams of doing is to pull on that green jersey and represent their country. “To every teammate, manager, coach, staff member and fan I’ve met along the way — thank you for being part of my story. “Although my playing days have come to an end, I’m excited for what’s next — hopefully passing on my experiences of what it takes to make it in the game. I’ve had more or less everything happen to me in football that can happen, and I hope to use that to help younger players coming through. “A new chapter begins — where it takes me, we’ll see. View 3 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “'I’ve been lucky enough to live out my dream' - Former Ireland international Alan Judge retires”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “'I’ve been lucky enough to live out my dream' - Former Ireland international Alan Judge retires”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy before taking part. Leave a Comment Submit a report Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines. 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