SoccerSound advice still rings true

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At the age of 19, I was given some very sound advice.

I was under contract to the Montreal Impact at the time, and during the off-season, I spent six months training with Charlton Athletic in England.

Keith Peacock, the reserve team manager at Charlton, told me that when the time came for me to finish my playing career - hopefully a long time down the road - that I should do so under my own terms.

He told me to walk away from the game at the highest level I could reach, and not to work my way "down the leagues" in order to hold on to the game beyond my time.

He told me that players often fail to realize when their time is up; they continue to play on beyond their expiry date, dropping lower and lower down the professional ladder.

When they are finally forced to stop playing due to age, injury or declining ability, their memories of the game become tainted by their final few years. They don't remember the good times, from the peak of their career, because those memories are overshadowed by the last few years of struggle.

That advice is something that stayed with me for the next 15 years when, at the age of 34, I decided to end my playing career.

My last game was on May 5, 2008, when I captained Ipswich Town to a 1-0 victory over Hull City at Portman Road. The game was live on television in the UK, and Portman Road, Ipswich's stadium, was full of passionate Ipswich supporters. My career couldn't have ended on a better note.

Since then, I have resisted the urge to pull on the boots again, mainly because I don't want anything to tarnish my memory of that game.

Coming out of retrement 

This past weekend, however, the urge finally got the better of me. I took part in Rock the Pitch, a charity soccer tournament to raise funds for Athletes for Africa.

Athletes for Africa is a non-profit organization that uses the power of sport to raise money to support local programs that strengthen communities, provide education and foster skill development for African youths.

The event was a tremendous success off the pitch, as Athletes for Africa surpassed its goal of raising $40,000 through the event.

On the pitch, everyone had a great time. There were teams of varying levels of ability, all sharing a common bond - passion to play the game of soccer.

Unbeaten all day, my team - the Media All-Stars - came undone in the final, losing 4-2 to the Indie Rock All-Stars. The less said about that (and our adventurous goalkeeper) the better.

People often ask me if I miss playing the game. My response is usually that I don't, because I am fortunate enough to still be involved with the game, albeit it in a different manner.

But the truth is, I do miss it.

I miss the competition, the challenge of overcoming a difficult opponent. I miss the camaraderie that can only be gained by working together, as a team, to achieve a common goal. And I miss the banter and the quick wit that is present amongst teammates who respect each other.

There was something very comforting about pulling on the boots again this weekend. It was sort of like the feeling of coming home from a long vacation; glad for the change of scenery, but relieved to be back home again, in familiar territory.

The simple act of passing a ball, keeping possession, waiting for an opening to exploit brought back memories of so many years playing the game. I'd be lying if I said that feeling didn't make me want to start playing again.

The morning after the tournament, though, I was greeted with another familiar feeling - extreme discomfort in my right foot. Multiple broken bones and multiple surgeries over the years have left a permanent reminder of my previous occupation.

Any thoughts of a return to full-time action are back on the shelf, where they belong. But I have to admit, I am already looking forward to playing in next year's tournament.

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