"Obviously it was a very tough decision for me to make. I love Laois football and it has been a big part of my life since I was 12 up through all the different age groups," he said.

"The way things were going and the commitment required and the time, I just wasn't reaping the benefits that I thought I could have been getting and it just wasn't working out for me.

"It was a tough decision. I don't know if I will be back involved this year, but hopefully down the road I will be an option for the management team.

"They are a very good management team and it is a very serious set-up and the results are improving.

"It wasn't a rash decision. It was one that took a lot of thought, but hopefully it's not one I live to regret."

Rogers has been a regular starter for Laois in both the Football League and Championship in recent years and was part of the side which took eventual Leinster champions Meath to a replay last year.

He believes his personal commitment has not been lacking, and was frustrated not to make the matchday squad for Laois' league clash with Antrim last month.

"To be fair, everyone gives the same level of commitment and you wouldn't expect to be ahead of anyone else in the pecking order in terms of commitment," he added.

"In terms of football itself though I definitely thought I was worth a shot. I thought I should have been involved in the matchday squad and I suppose that was definitely what made up my mind for me.

"It's just a non-stop all year round sport, an amateur sport, but it is professional in the way you have to approach it.

"At the stage I was at I was just physically and mentally drained. I just felt a bit drained and a bit tired and the travelling home for training and stuff, it catches up with you eventually.

"It's tough and there are other things outside of football now as well. I'm 24 and I have a year left in my GAA degree in IT Carlow.

"There's work at weekends and other stuff. It doesn't factor into football. You have to give it a serious commitment and I just felt that this was a time where I needed to concentrate on other things and take my focus away from football for a while."

But Rogers intends to continue playing for his club Portlaoise, and also with his college IT Carlow with whom he will be in action in the Sigerson Cup tomorrow.

"We are no illusions as to the task we face in the quarter-final against a formidable team in UUJ," explained the forward.

"Then again, the odds were stacked against us against Athlone IT in the last game. No one expected us to come through that clash, but the home draw helped us.

"We have this new GAA course in IT Carlow and the standard of footballer has improved over the last two years. There are inter-county players littered throughout the team from the likes of Laois, Meath, Wexford and Carlow.

"We have a team that is capable of performing - just whether or not we can get it out of ourselves on Thursday is the next thing."