HAVING to carefully manage the way he spent his family time was when it all came to a head for Steven Reid.

A 17-year football career, the latter part of which had been spent battling knee injuries, had taken its toll on his still young body.

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The simple activities that many people take for granted, like ball games in the garden with his children, were frustratingly off limits.

Had Reid not been so strict, the final whistle would have been blown on his playing days well before the age of 34.

But, now, enough was enough.

A heart-to-heart with his long-term football friend, Sean Dyche, who had come to be his manager in the last season of his career, at Burnley, confirmed what he already knew.

“The last six or seven years has been really tough. They have been a bit of a struggle physically,” explained Reid, whose time at both Blackburn Rovers and West Brom was punctuated by serious knee problems and surgery.

“At times I’ve done the press and when I’ve been through the injuries I’ve been sitting there saying ‘the body’s in a decent place’ and talking about how fit I am. But I can tell you now that was a lie!

“A lot of that time I was struggling.

“There were probably a lot of games where I was playing at probably 50 per cent. The knee wasn’t as good as I was letting on.

“The last few years has been about managing the body.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with some unbelievable medical departments especially that have almost given me and extra couple of years.

“Maybe the way the knee was at certain points over the last few years I maybe should have finished then. But mentally I wouldn’t give into it.

“The last two or three years has been a bonus.”

But they have not been without consequence or compromise.

“It almost has an impact on your family life as well, with the kids running around in the garden,” said the father of two.

“Believe it or not that’s the sort of thing that over the last few years you’ve got to deal with, whether you can go out for the day and walk round for a few hours because your knee might swell up too much and you’ve got to prepare for a game on a Saturday.

“They’re the sort of decisions over the last few years that I’ve had to make.

“The wife agrees it’s time as well.”

Not even Dyche offered to change his mind.

“No,” he smiled, breaking out into the heartiest laugh.

“So that’s when I knew it was time!

“That’s what I like about him, and I’m probably glad he didn’t because my mind was made up.

“If he had maybe tried to talk me round... I knew in my own mind that it’s time.

“He didn’t try to convince me otherwise and that’s why we had the chat.

“We went off to the stadium and had a sit-down for a couple of hours and he was really supportive and gave plenty of advice.”

Even so, the tears could not be held back as the full time whistle blew at Villa Park, where Reid had made his last appearance as a second half substitute in a 1-0 win for Burnley.

“It was pretty emotional,” he confessed.

His career flashed before him.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have played at a few great clubs and at each club had success in our own right,” he continued.

“I started at Millwall and had that bit of luck with the club being in the financial position where all the young lads got thrown in and it was sink or swim, if you like, and we swam and got promoted.

“The manager (Dyche) was involved in that side as well.

“We got to the play-offs the next season.

“I had a couple of years at Blackburn where we had some real good success there.

“At West Brom we became a decent Premier League side as well, so that was a success in its own right.

“Even parts of this season have got to be seen as a success.

“I know it’s a relegation but being in that dressing room has been a pleasure and seeing the growth in a lot of the players as well who I’m sure are going to go on to have really good Premier League careers.”

The best bit?

“Playing in the World Cup 2002,” he beamed. “That’s still the highlight.

“I wasn’t in the original squad, I was going on holiday, and I got the call-up from Mick (McCarthy) to join up with the squad, and even to this day that’s the highlight of my career.

“I maybe should have done more. That’s a little regret of mine still that I didn’t get more than the 23 caps.

“Towards the end I enjoyed it more.

“It was a great time. It’s just a shame that I didn’t at least get to 50 caps.

“But I can’t complain with 17 years in the game and 12 in the Premier League.

“I would have ripped your arm off if you’d have told me that at 15 or 16 years old I’d still be going at 34.”

But Reid has long been preparing for the next chapter having already been back to the classroom to complete his UEFA B licence coaching badge.

Last Thursday he was at St George’s Park to embark on the A licence with a view to earning his final qualification - the pro licence - with a view to a career in coaching and perhaps, one day, management.

“I think one day, with the experiences I’ve had and the managers I’ve worked with. It would be a shame not to,” he said.

“If I didn’t go down that route it would be a big regret of mine that I’ve not given it a go.

“I feel that it’s not just the playing experiences, a lot of off the field issues with injuries and how to deal with players that are injured as well, I feel I’d be very good at that and hopefully we’ll see what options are available.

“Hopefully I’ll stay in the game - alongside the bits of media that I do,” he added.

“But with the day-to-day, being in and around the lads in the training ground, hopefully I’ll be suited to continuing doing that.

“I’ll be looking at jobs that could be available in football and applying and seeing what’s out there.”