Sunderland's Quinn calls it quits

[Carson35]

Sunday, November 10, 2002
Sunderland's Quinn calls it quits
By Chris Borg

Sunderland striker Niall Quinn has announced his retirement from the game after failing to overcome persistent injury problems.

Quinn: Sunderland stalwart
(LaurenceGriffiths/Allsport)
The Republic of Ireland player's decision was announced to the crowd at Sunderland's home game against Spurs on Sunday.

Quinn began his career at Arsenal and later joined Manchester City before moving to Sunderland six years ago.

He had originally intended to wait for the results of a scan on his back before deciding whether or not to quit the game, but changed his mind last week and informed boss Howard Wilkinson of his decision.

Wilkinson has asked him not to sever his links with the club, and hopes he will carry out an ambassadorial role.

A club spokesman confirmed: 'Niall has decided the time has come to hang up his boots and retire as a player because of persistent injury problems. He will continue to have some links with Sunderland Football Club.'

Quinn will be remembered for the highly successful strike partnership he forged with Kevin Phillips, which helped the club into the Premiership and played a major part in two successive seventh-placed finishes.

He said: 'There have been some wonderful times and wonderful memories - and the luck I've had has been quite incredible.

'People got dropped and injured at the right times for me. Then I looked on the scrapheap, and great surgeons rebuilt me - but the Indian summer I had with Sunderland was something special.

'I don't know what I'm going to do - but I feel so grateful for the life football has given me.'

soccernet

[Mise_Me_Fein]

Great post!
I think Quinn was a great player for Ireland. He'll be missed. He was one of the best big strikers in football.

[Carson35]

Sunday, November 24, 2002
Quinn does not want Ireland job

Former Republic of Ireland striker Niall Quinn has ruled himself out of the running for the vacant national manager's job.
Quinn, who earlier this month retired from playing with Sunderland, had been linked to the job possibly as part of a management team with ex-Black Cats boss Peter Reid - for whom Quinn coached until Howard Wilkinson took over at the Stadium of Light.

However, the 36-year-old has said he has no intention of going into management.

'I do not want to be a manager and don't want to take on task of picking the team, it is not something I would like to do,' he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

He joked: 'I was a coach at Sunderland for about 12 weeks and look what happened there.

'I hope they (the Republic) come up with someone who can lift the players to the team they were three months ago.'

soccernet