Former Claret Lukas Jutkiewicz has opened up about his decision to retire at the end of the season.
Jutkiewicz has been at Birmingham City for the past nine years and played his final game at St Andrew’s over the weekend, coming off the bench as the Blues beat Mansfield to set a new League One points record.
The forward - who spent three years at Turf Moor, making 35 appearances - is now hanging up his boots but he will remain with the Blues in a new role off the pitch.
“What a way to finish up,” Jutkiewicz told Birmingham Live. “I don’t think I could have pictured walking away when I came nine years ago, to have a day like this I don’t think I would have imagined it in my wildest dreams.
“To finally finish playing at St Andrew’s is very emotional for me and my family. We have been through a lot here and for it to go the way it did is the perfect script.
“Sure, I would have loved to have played a bit more football but you’re in a squad that’s just broken the points record for this league. It’s not an easy team to get into.
“Not many people get to decide when they walk away, sometimes the game retires them so I’m really fortunate that I’m able to do that.”
The 36-year-old has only started a handful of cup fixtures this season and minutes have been hard to come by in the league as Chris Davies' side secured an immediate return to the Championship.
“It’s always difficult, first of all, to admit to yourself that maybe your body is not doing the things that you want it to or it used to be able to do,” he added.
“I think I probably could have played next season, perhaps not at the level this club is going to go to, so that was a big factor as well.
“I wanted to get the promotion done and the league title done, then obviously play at Wembley, before I really thought about it.
“After that was done, I kind of properly sat down with my family and decided what was best for us going forward. The fact that the club really wanted me to stay on was a huge factor in that as well.
“I sit here really content to be honest. Not many players get to have this as the way that they walk away. I’m really proud that’s the case.”
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