No Retirement Plans For Goodison

Soon to be 41 year old centre half Ian Goodison has said he has no plans to retire from football just yet as he still believes he can do a good job on the pitch for the club.

The claim from the player comes from a fantastic interview he did with The Independent, where he said one of his after match rituals was.

‘As soon as I leave here, I go straight to sleep and don’t move til six.’

As the oldest outfield player in the Football League, his attitude to life is a little different to the long time yoga loving fellow elder statesmen we often here about such as Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs, as Goodison reveals he only took up yoga last month, he avoids ice baths because he doesn’t like the cold, and he admits he pops into a certain fastfood joint on occasions for a chicken and chips.

Well, having played over 100 times for Jamaica, would you want an ice bath?

‘The other day a player came over and said ‘when are you going to retire?’. I was like, ‘I don’t even know because I’m still having you lads – the minute you start running past me I will know.’

We know who won that bit of banter, but Goodison adds he really doesn’t see a reason to retire at the moment, as even given his wise age in football, he can still compete 90 minutes and he believes his form and fitness is pretty good for this stage of the season, and hopefully that will only improve with more games under his belt this term.

Ultimately as long as he and Ronnie Moore agree he has a role to play, his age is irrelevant really, as it’s his contribution on the pitch that is the be all and end all when it comes to the decision of it being time for him to no longer figure in our first team.

The interview also covers his late arrival to professional football following the explosion he made for Jamaica in the 1998 World Cup which put him into the shop window for a number of clubs, with Hull taking the chance when he was already aged 26.

His late arrival to the game at this level also no doubt plays a part in him wanting to continue his career for as along as possible, so he can continue to enjoy playing ultimately.

Having joined Tranmere back in February 2004, next February will see him hit a decade with the club and the obvious testimonial celebration such a record brings, and he already hopes to hold a game which will feature Usain Bolt and Chris Gayle, the West Indies cricketer.

Now that could be some testimonial match.