Gillespie keen to play on

Keith Gillespie popped into the Soccer AM studios on Saturday in an attempt to resurrect his career.

The former Newcastle, and Blackburn star has been without a club since the summer after parting ways with Glentoran in the Irish League.

However, he revealed he still has what it takes to compete in the Football League and had no intention of hanging up his boots just yet.

The 35-year-old said he was prompted to come on the show and sell himself following Lee Hendrie's appearance two weeks ago.

Hendrie took his place on the orange sofa in a similar position to the former Northern Ireland international, but earned a trial with Reading a day later, and Gillespie admitted he was hoping for a similar outcome.

"Hopefully the same thing can happen to me!" he told Soccer AM.

"I spoke to 'Henders' during the week and hopefully he's going to get a contract at Reading.

"That's obviously happened to him from coming on the show, so you never know, that might happen to me.

"I still feel as though I have a lot to offer in the English league. I would consider anything because I was always told never retire too young.

"You can't get it back again. There are plenty of players who have regretted retiring at a young age and I don't want to be in that situation. I want to play for as long as I can."

Youth

A member of Manchester United's FA Youth Cup winning side in 1992, Gillespie broke into Sir Alex Ferguson's first team alongside the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and David Beckham.

Competing for a regular first team berth with Andrei Kanchelskis, the former Northern Ireland international found his first team opportunities limited however, and in 1995 he joined Newcastle in a deal which saw Andy Cole move in the opposite direction.

Six months later Sir Alex Ferguson failed in a bid to bring him back to the club, however Gillespie revealed he had no regrets about leaving United.

He said: "I think I had the best period of my career when I went to Newcastle. I was part of a really entertaining side.

"Not many people actually remember who comes second in the league, but I think everyone remembers Newcastle."

Style

That free flowing Magpies side was led by Kevin Keegan and Gillespie was full of praise for the Geordie favourite.

"Man-management style, Kevin Keegan was the best I've ever know," he said.

"He was pretty mellow." If you had won the week before the team talk was done and dusted in two minutes - 'just go out and do the same'. It was quite refreshing because you get a lot of managers who spend 25-30 minutes on team talks."