Lasley bowing out a legend

Keith Lasley’s decision to retire from playing last week was one which stirred up a lot of emotions for the man himself.

It was a bittersweet moment because many footballers hang up their boots and don’t know what’s coming next whilst Lasley was announcing his retirement alongside being named assistant manager at the club he loves.

At his press conference last week, Lasley was in a reflective mood but also a determined one as he looked to the future.

The midfielder clocked up almost 500 appearances in his 16 years at Fir Park and Well fans have seen a huge transformation in Lasley.

In his own words, the Well number two admitted he wasn’t the world’s most technically gifted but he had a desire and a will to succeed which ultimately carried him through an eventful career.

From finishing second to playing in Europe as well as the odd near miss when it came to relegation, Lasley has seen it all and is one of the few remaining from a different era of the game.

Not shy of a juicy challenge now and then, Lasley still only collated six red cards across his 16 year career – and three of them came in the one season!

But it was rarely nastiness from the 37-year-old (although I’m sure rival fans will disagree) he was an extremely passionate player on the field.

Off the field, I have always found Lasley to be an approachable guy with a great sense of humour and someone who doesn’t shy away when the going gets tough.

In an age of footballers who are trained to come out with the same old clichés, he really is the last of a dying breed.

His character, drive and determination all add up to a great appointment for Stephen Robinson for his new right hand man.

Lasley knows the club inside out, knows what it means to every supporter, every player and every person employed at Fir Park.

You have to admire Lasley’s long-term thinking as well when it comes to this latest move.

At the end of last season, he looked as relevant as ever in the middle of the park and still had a lot to give.

But he knows football is a short career and has ambitions to be a manager himself one day

Lasley was one of the few left from a different era