Phil Neville has announced his retirement at the age of 36, clearing the way for the former England defender to make a full-time move into coaching.
Neville ended an eight-year spell with Everton, the club he joined from Manchester United in 2005 for a fee of £3.5 million, last month and has now decided to hang up his boots.
“When I made a statement that I was leaving Everton everywhere I went I seemed to be getting ‘oh you’ve been brilliant’,” he told reporters at the European Under-21 championship in Israel.
“I didn’t like it, I didn’t want to be seen as an attention seeker. In my heart I knew I wouldn’t be playing again at any level, I just wanted to drift away.”
Neville, who has been helping England U-21 manager Stuart Pearce at the European Championship, has been linked with assistant coaching jobs at United and Everton.