Lee Tomlin has announced his retirement from football after 17 years and 600 appearances. The talismanic midfielder is 33 years old, but injuries have taken their toll, and his body can no longer withstand the stress. Tomlin started his career in League Two at the age of 16 with Rushden & Diamonds. He continued to play for them for four more seasons when they were demoted to the Conference (now the National League), and in 2010 his strong play led Peterborough to sign him to a League One contract.
“At Doncaster, I was having a great time throughout the preseason, but the last several months of playing and training every day have been too much for me physically. Given how many medications I’ve had to take to get through it, this is extremely true,” Lee Tomlin said. “Football is all I’ve ever known, yet it would be too physically demanding for me to keep playing. I suffer pain every morning, and I have difficulties sleeping at night. Nobody is really prepared to retire, in my opinion. I wish I could continue doing it for many more years. But you simply need to accept it and come to grips with it.”
“During the first several months, I really want to spend time with the family and support them as much as I can. I want to ensure that everyone is happy and secure,” he added. “But after that, I’ll be continuing on to complete my coaching badges and moving on. My B Licence final exam is now taking place. My A Licence and my Pro Licence will follow. I won’t jump into it headfirst, but now that I have the time to, I will do more of it. I’ve worked for both new and experienced bosses, and you can learn a little bit from each of them. I would adore being that.”
For more football news, click here
