Scott Severin looks to the future after announcing playing retirement

The Dundee United midfielder announced his intention to quit over the weekend because of an ankle injury.

19 March 2012 14:04 GMT

Scott Severin says he is looking forward to gaining experience in coaching, having made the decision to retire from football.

The Dundee United midfielder announced he was hanging up his boots over the weekend, having failed to successfully recover from ankle damage.

"I am doing my coaching badges at the moment and I will do more in the summer," said Severin. "The manager has been good enough to let me join in with the training here.
Scott Severin looks to the future after announcing playing retirement

"It's just about keeping my hand in and getting a bit of experience for what I am hopefully going to do in the future.

"I have played first team football for 13 years. I've had a few different managers and I've got some of my own ideas I want to put in as well."

Asked if a role as his own man appealed to him in the future, he said: "I'm not too sure about management. Hopefully [I'll become] a coach but management... I'll just wait and see how it goes."

Severin had been working his way back from a broken leg sustained earlier in the season and says he was left with little chance but to call it a day.

"I've known for a couple of weeks it would be the case," he said. "I think any footballer would want to finish the game on their terms, whether they are too old or not good enough.

"The fracture has healed but there is just too much damage in my ankle from previous operations and over the years.

"The consultant down in London thought it was just best to call it time.

"He did mention that he could have operated again, but the likelihood was that I would probably break down in a couple of months again.

"There was no point putting my ankle through surgery again. I think I've had about four operations on that ankle, so there's no point in causing it too much more damage."

His manager at Tannadice, Peter Houston, paid tribute to Severin, who first worked with the coach in the youth setup at Hearts.

"It's very disappointing when any player has to hang up his boots through injury," said Houston.

"Scott is a guy I have known since he was 17. I worked with him at Hearts when he was a youth player and I was the youth team coach.

"He has always been my sort of player in that he puts in a lot of effort, is dedicated to his game, has worked very hard throughout his career and has been a success."