Ade considering giving up the game

ADE Akinbiyi has told of how he considered hanging up his boots at the end of the season, as he enters into the last year in his Turf Moor contract with the Clarets.

Akinbiyi, 33, has had a career that since 1993 has seen him turn out for 11 different clubs, in which time he wracked up over 500 appearances, but now the front man believes his body is telling him that his time in football is almost up.

Ade, who rejoined the Clarets in 2007 from Sheffield United told the Official website: 'I've been talking about giving up next year, but I don't know what will happen. I'll see how my body feels.

'Your body can only take you so far and I'm about using my strength and doing a lot of running, and when you get older, that takes its toll sometimes.

'I think I'm the sort of person who can play around 30 games now.

'I don't think I'll be able to play Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday; I'll be happy to do whatever the gaffer wants of me this year.'

The London born Nigerian International scored nine times last season for the Clarets, forming a hit and miss partnership with Robbie Blake, but he has admitted that he doesn't want to find himself playing down the divisions: 'I won't drop down the divisions gradually.

'If I decide to call it a day, it will be when I can't do the things I'm good at and I want to try and end on a high.

'I want to be able to run around with my kids; I want to be healthy and able to walk around when I finish playing.

'I miss my kids because I'm not there every weekend, and sooner or later, I want to spend more time with them.'

He added: 'I still love the game. You can't beat it.

'But I've got a few things lined up for when I've finished playing. Football's not forever, and everyone talks about what you're going to do afterwards, but once I've finished playing, it's just another chapter.

'A lot of people want to go into coaching, but I just want to hang it up and do something else.'

Whatever the decision should be at the end of this season, I think we can all say a massive thanks to Ade, who will never be forgotten by the Clarets faithful.

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