Evergreen Dougie Freedman told Goals on Sunday he will finish his playing days at Southend United.
Freedman happy to see out his playing days at Southend
Dougie Freedman says Southend will be where he ends his playing career.
The well-travelled Scot says he turned down an offer to go into coaching last season on the advice of ex-players who told him to keep going as long as possible.
He is currently taking his coaching badges but at 34, says the tracksuit and the touchline are still a long way off.
Freedman has scored four goals in four games for the Shrimpers and says that after plying his trade at seven clubs up and down the league ladders, he says the only think that will tempt him away from Roots Hall is retirement.
"I'm three-quarters of the way through my A Licence and I'm really enjoying it," he told
Goals on Sunday. "But for the time being I'm playing at Southend and really enjoying myself there.
"I had the option of going into a coaching role at Palace, Neil Warnock offered me the reserve job, but ex-pros and players were telling me to play as long as I could. I just felt it was the right decision.
"Maybe one day that might be a path I choose but for the time being the aim is to be playing for Southend for the next two or three years and scoring goals.
"My career is there for the next few years - that's where I will be hanging up my boots.
"I got on the phone to a lot of ex-players and they were telling me when I got the opportunity to go into coaching was that coaching will always come, playing cannot."
Decision
Freedman finished last season on loan at Leeds, but decided to try and force his way back into the reckoning at Crystal Palace.
He soon found himself surplus to Warnock's requirements and moved on. And he believes that decision has also extended his playing days - not least because his new team-mates are willing to do his running!
"I tried to play in the reserves last year to prepare myself for Saturday but I didn't think I was giving 100 per cent to either one, so I made a decision," he said.
"You've got to be 100 per cent in this game, it's so fast. You've got to stay fit, be careful with your diet and you've got to give 100 per cent.
"I'm quite confident if scoring goals if I'm playing. I don't want to sound too cocky but I felt that if I was playing and stayed fit that I would score goals - and the service has been spot-on.
"The lads are a good bunch of young lads - and they are willing to do my running for me which helps!
"All the players are helping me, it's not like I'm scoring 30-yarders. There's a good togetherness in the squad and although I am scoring it's all about the team doing well."
