Motherwell legend Keith Lasley admits that he will no doubt have ‘a good greet’ as he looks back over his playing career with a little help from his mum’s scrapbooks.
The 37-year-old has called time on his 18-year professional career, the vast majority of which was spent at Motherwell barring a two-year spell in England with Plymouth Argyle and Blackpool, and has accepted the assistant manager’s job at Fir Park.
While he has been too excited at the prospect of his new role to wallow too much in nostalgia, he will set time aside with his family at some point to look back and celebrate a career that surpassed all of his expectations.
“I haven’t really had a chance to process that my playing days are over with everything that has been going on,” Lasley said.
“I’ve just been so excited with the new challenge that lies ahead of me, and it’s good to have that to focus on to take my mind off of it.
“When I came into this club straight off a building site really, I couldn’t have dreamt that I would have had the times I have had here. I thought I would be back as a spark within six months.
“I was late into professional football at 19, and when you think that some clubs are now writing boys off at seven or eight, I was incredibly lucky to get the break that I did.
“I love this club, and to get the opportunity to not only make so many appearances, but to experience so many highs on the field and captain the club as well as now becoming assistant manager, it’s a dream come true.
“I’ve had a lot to consider, because I had the option of playing on at Motherwell, and financially that would have been better for me. But after discussing it with my family and having a long, hard think about it, I decided that now was the right time to make that next step in my career.
“It’s obviously sad to hang up the boots, and I’m sure that I will take some time at some point to have a wee look back and probably have a good greet. My mum has scrapbooks with all the old pictures and cuttings out of the papers and what have you, so it will be nice to just sit down, look back on that and celebrate it with my family.”
Lasley replaces another club legend in the role after James McFadden left Fir Park earlier in the summer, but he wants to dispel any notion that his appointment is a case of ‘jobs for the boys.’
He recently completed his UEFA ‘A’ Licence, and he feels ready to show that he can make a worthwhile contribution on the coaching side of the club.
“It’s something I’ve been planning on for about 10 years, and I’m determined to make a success of it,” he said.
“I’m not just here to fill a role because I’ve been about the place for so long. I’ve got too much respect for everyone in this building and the fans that fill these stands to do that.
“I’m excited about what the future holds for the club. Everything off the park is being run brilliantly, and I believe in what Stephen Robinson is trying to do here.”
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