McMillan calls it a day

Wigan's Steve McMillan has been forced to retire at 29 as a result of a knee injury.

Wigan Athletic defender Steve McMillan has been forced to announce his retirement from football at the age of 29 as a result of a knee injury.

The left-back last appeared for the club in his side's Carling Cup semi-final clash with Arsenal in January 2006, where he aggravated an injury he had sustained two months earlier.

He travelled to Colorado for surgery and followed that with intensive rehabilitation, but the player was unable to make a full recovery and will now make his retirement official in April.

"I'd just like to thank everyone at the club for the way they have cared for me over the past year and in times gone by," he told the club's official website.

"The club have been fantastic to me - absolutely brilliant - and they couldn't have been more supportive."

Wigan boss Paul Jewell paid tribute to McMillan who, along with Lee McCulloch, had been the club's longest serving player.

"It's always sad when a player of Steve's ability retires, because he has never really been able to show his true potential," he said.

"I never had any doubt in my mind that Steve was a Premiership-standard footballer and it's just a shame he was never able to truly prove it to the Wigan fans.

"Steve has battled through the pain barrier many times over the past year and he's done everything in his power to get back playing. I would like to send the best wishes of myself, my staff and all the players to a great professional."