Still: Richards made the right call

Hatters boss John Still felt Garry Richards made the right decision by calling time on his professional career this week, writes Mike Simmonds.
Garry Richards (right)Garry Richards (right)
Garry Richards (right)

The centre half, who was signed by previous boss Paul Buckle, never recovered from an injury to his ankle while on a pre-season training camp of Portugal.

He was released from his Town contract on Monday and swiftly announced his retirement via Twitter.

Still said: “The specialist said to him, I don’t think you should play. You’re a young man, you want to be able to run over the park with your kids.

“We’re all selfish in football, all jobs are like that, you want to do well for yourself, you want your career to take off.

“But when you have reality check like that, do you want to be able to take your kids to the park or to the zoo? Well if you do and playing on might jeapordise that, I think that’s a no contest.

“It’s not like me telling it, when a specialist that deals in it tells you that, you should listen and who knows in time, he’s a young man, two or three years time, they might come up with a revolutionary new operation.

“But in this particular incidence and this particular time, he’s got to put his future first.”

On what his future might be, Still continued: “Garry’s at an age where he is probably going to find another career as opposed to a job.

“I wish him the best of luck and said to him, any help I can give you Garry, I would 100 per cent.

“I have a feeling it won’t be in football for Garry though.

“He probably hasn’t thought about coaching badges so I don’t think his immediate future will be in football.

“That’s not to say as time goes on, he might get into coaching through kids, if he has children and they start playing. He may well be able to get an appetite for it, do his coaching badges, and he has lots of contacts.

People he knows, they may go on and become coaches and managers themselves, and who knows, one day someone might say, come and do our youth team, but I don’t think it’s the right time now.”

Adjusting to life without football is going to be the hard part for Richards though as Still added: “It’s difficult when you know the person, as I’ve known Garry for a long time, and all he’s ever known is football.

“But he’s a very strong personality, very strong character, and he needs that mental strength and his family.

“He’s at an age that he can overcome that. Lots of players going back over the years had to finish with injury, it doesn’t happen so much now.

“You just have to go and find another avenue. The biggest thing is how you deal with it mentally though.

“Lots of footballers get to their 30s and have to pack up just because it’s their time.

“If it’s all you’ve known, then trying to find something that you enjoy doing as much as this job and your family’s happy with is very difficult.”

For all the latest Luton Town FC news, reports, stats, player profiles, live match updates, MOM poll, prediction table and a complete fixture list, visit our Hatters Microsite.

Related topics: