BIG RUSS: I HAD TO CALL IT A DAY (From Bournemouth Echo)

BIG RUSS: I HAD TO CALL IT A DAY

7:00am Friday 9th May 2008 in

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LUCKLESS Russ Perrett reluctantly decided to hang up his boots after his dream move to Dean Court turned into a nightmare.

The 34-year-old defender announced his retirement earlier this week after making just 11 appearances for his hometown club.

Perrett revealed he had realised a long-time ambition when he joined Cherries on a one-year contract last summer and admitted he had "high hopes" for the club.

But after suffering a series of bad injuries, he was then struck down by pleurisy and a strain of pneumonia and was eventually forced to call it a day.

Perrett told the Daily Echo: "It's not a decision I've taken lightly.

"I spoke to a few people who have been in the same position and they told me not to rush into anything. But I'm happy with my decision and now I want to move forward and start something else.

"What's happened over the past few months has made up my mind. It's been soul-destroying not being able to play and train. I just don't want to go through another awful season of picking up injuries and illnesses.

"Initially, it was scary when I fell ill. It hit me straight away and I wasn't quite sure what was happening. It was all down my left side and you immediately panic that something is wrong with one of your major organs.

"I picked up an infection which turned out to be pleurisy. That laid me low for a while and because things didn't really improve, I got it checked out again and was told I had pneumococcal pneumonia.

"It's taken me two to three months to get myself back to normal. Nothing could have prevented it or speeded up the recovery. It's something that can hit anybody at any time and I was just unfortunate that it hit me at the end of the season when I could have done with being fit."

Perrett was one of three players to sustain a long-term injury during Cherries' ill-fated 1-1 draw with Northampton in September.

And after battling back from a torn hamstring, he then suffered calf and knee injuries before illness brought his season - and career - to a premature end.

"When I first arrived, I thought we were going to be in for a good season," added the former Pompey, Cardiff and Luton man. "But the treatment room always seemed to be chocabloc and no squad can cope with that.

"The club wasn't in a position financially to bring in new faces to bolster the squad. It was always going to be an uphill task and that's how it turned out. In the end, the lads were unlucky not to pull themselves out of it but it was a great effort to take it to the final game."

Perrett, who runs a successful soccer school in Lymington, will take stock during the close season before deciding whether he wants to return to the non-league ranks.

The former AFC Lymington defender added: "I've got a couple of months to think things over, although there is a possibility that I will carry on part-time."