Former Republic of Ireland international Paul McShane has announced his retirement from football at the age of 36.
McShane joined Manchester United in the summer of 2021 and over the course of the last 12 months, he has played for and coached United's under-23 and academy sides. McShane took to Twitter this afternoon to share his feelings on his retirement.
"It was all a dream"
"Twenty years of fulfilling my boyhood dream of being a professional footballer, but the time has come to retire from playing"
"Thank you to all the players, staff & coaches that I've had the pleasure of working with -It's been the best rollercoaster I've ever been on"
"Thank you also to the fans -it was an honour to play in front of you's. You're the reason football is so special.
"Finally, a big thank you to my mum, dad, brother, sister and wife -Your unconditional love and support helped make it all possible."
"A day I thought I'd dread but I'm excited and ready for the future. I've given this great game everything I've got and I don't plan to stop now," McShane concludes.
In an interview with manutd.com, McShane further elaborated on his decision to call it today, while discussing his excitement at what the future holds for him.
"I’ve had 20 years playing and I’ve come back into the club as a player-coach in the Under-23s. It’s been a great year and great experience but now it’s time to fully focus on the next stage of my career, which will be in coaching.
"It’s amazing how things work out. It’s a great way to end my career, to come back here and help the future generation with their careers. It was perfect, to be honest with you, when this role came about, and I’m grateful to the people who made it happen. I think it’s a great way to end my playing days.
"I am [proud]. Sometimes when you’re on the journey itself, you can get lost in it. It’s a career where there’s lots of ups and downs and there’s so many challenges, but now, I think I can look back and have fond memories of different stages of my career. "
McShane finishes his career at the same club he started at. The former St Joseph's Boys player signed for Alex Ferguson's United in 2002. And while he didn't quite make the grade in Manchester, McShane enjoyed a long and varied career at clubs like Sunderland, Hull, Reading and Rochdale.
When asked for his career highlights, he said that representing his country on 33 occasions is close to the top.
"[If I was to pick] moments, I'd say my Irish debut, representing my country in every game that I played in, my Premier League debut, getting promoted with Hull on the last day, captaining Reading, the FA Cup final. It’s been great, and over the next week or two, maybe I can look back and appreciate what I’ve been through over the past 20 years.
While his playing days are over, McShane's involvement in football is not, as the Wicklow man will continue to coach youngsters in the Manchester United academy.
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