Yorke not thinking of retiring yet

Sep 10 2008 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

DWIGHT Yorke admits he surprised himself by volunteering for a 20th season of professional football, but the Sunderland midfielder has not ruled out the possibility of a 21st.

The ex-Manchester United, Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers star considered retirement at the end of last season but was talked out of it by his former team-mate Roy Keane. Yet since the 36-year-old put pen to paper on a new one-year contract he has seen the Black Cats draft in a host of high-quality midfielders, all threatening Yorke’s place in the team.

And even though an early-season eye injury left Yorke unable to fight for his place, he has not given up hope of extending his career in England even beyond the end of the current campaign. “This is my 20th season, which is something of a landmark in football,” he reflected. “I wouldn’t say it gets any easier, but I’m feeling pretty good. I don’t think many people thought I’d still be playing at 36, I’m not sure even I did, but I’ve looked after myself and as long as I’m feeling okay I want to carry on playing.

“Everyone I’ve spoken to, former players and so on, have said to carry on playing for as long as I can and that’s what I intend to do. I don’t know if this will be my last season, we’ll have to wait and see what happens, but I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of playing on next year.”

Yorke, whose first matchday involvement with the team this season was as an unused substitute in the disappointing 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, has been on international duty with Trinidad and Tobago. Inevitably, a third spell back in his country’s colours has kicked off another political storm.

The issue of European-based footballers travelling outside the continent to represent their countries has long been a thorny one and was behind both of Yorke’s previous international retirements. He was back captaining Trinidad in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Guatemala but was pulled out of today’s game against the United States of America, apparently on Keane’s instructions. A thigh injury was initially given as the reason for Yorke’s absence, though the player later admitted that while he had wanted to play, he “did not know if he would be allowed to”.

That Yorke has become one of the elder statesmen of Premier League football will come as a surprise to those who viewed his earlier playboy antics with disdain. Yorke believes the mere fact he is still playing at 36 shows his reputation was inaccurate.

“I have had a reputation for going out a lot, especially when I was younger and people used to criticise me for it, but you have to get the balance right,” he argued. “If I hadn’t looked after myself, if I hadn’t done the right things, I wouldn’t still be here now would I? I’m happy to prove those people wrong, but I’m more happy that the body is still letting me play Premier League football at my age.

“People who don’t know me have always questioned my commitment, but those people who do know me know how seriously I take my football. I’ve always taken the game very seriously and that is why I’m still desperate to play as much as I can.”

Meanwhile, Keane is expecting George McCartney to be fit to make his second Sunderland debut at the JJB Stadium on Saturday even if the left-back misses Northern Ireland’s match against the Czech Republic tonight with a back injury. “George just felt the lower part of his back but he is hoping to play (at Windsor Park),” Keane explained. “Fingers crossed he will come through okay. We’re hoping he will be okay for Saturday.”

Meanwhile, Djibril Cissé missed yesterday’s training through illness.