Gardner reveals pride at full-time coaching switch
CRAIG Gardner could not have picked a more perfect place to formally start his coaching career.
The 33-year-old confirmed on Tuesday that he will officially retire from playing at the end of the season to take up a full-time coaching role with Birmingham City.
And he insists his career path could not have gone better as he considers the next step in his football jouney.
“It’s exciting and a real honour,” Gardner told the club website.
“When you are a kid you dream about becoming a footballer. To play for the team you support, in the Premier League, win a cup, to finish your footballing career here and then to start a new chapter as a coach – I couldn’t have wished for more.
“To be given this opportunity is a privilege and this club is a great place to be.
“People say ‘You’re only 33, you can continue to play at a good standard’.
“Is that what I want now? I want to be part of this club. You can see over the past four or five months what the club wants to do – what the club is doing.
“The owners and the board; everyone is putting a lot of positives in.
“The way we are training and preparing with Pep [Clotet], Paco Herrera,
Xavi Calm, Darryl Flahavan and the staff...everyone is on board.
“It is a great place to be around. Everyone is buzzing every single day. The players are smiling, they are happy – you can see that on the pitch as well.
“I have enjoyed my career, every bit of it. Now I want the players to enjoy theirs.
“I will give every single thing I can to help them do that and to help them improve and get this club back where we should be.”
Solihull-born Gardner spent 18 months at Blues between January 2010 and the summer of 2011, during which time he helped the team with the Carling Cup. He was sold in the wake of relegation, only to return in January 2017, first on loan from West Brom and then permanently.
Overall he has made 125 appearances for the club he supported as a boy – and scored 16 times.
However, only one more game has been added this term and he has dedicated his time to supporting caretaker head coach Clotet as part of his backroom staff.
Just as fan favourite Paul Robinson did when he retired, Gardner will remain at Blues as part of the coaching staff.