Wells may stop playing for Bermuda to put full focus on City
NAHKI Wells is considering retiring from international football to focus on prolonging his club career with Bristol City.
The 32-year-old ruled himself out of Bermuda’s game with Haiti today after captaining his country in their 2-0 Concacaf Nations League defeat against Guyana last week.
Wells, who played 90 minutes after earning his 25th cap, revealed he may have represented his country for the last time after taking a step back from the international set-up. The striker has scored 17 goals for Bermuda after making his debut in 2007.
The experienced frontman will turn 33 in June, and after signing a two-year deal with City in December to commit his future at the club until the summer of 2025, is aiming to do everything he can to stay at the top of his game for as long as possible. He is the club’s top scorer this season with 11 goals.
Speaking to The Royal Gazette, he said: “I won’t be travelling with the team to play against Haiti, so I wish the boys well in that fixture. I’ll be reassessing things as time goes on but I don’t think I have a definitive answer right now on my future.
“I’m just looking to perhaps step back from international football for a little while and just see where it takes me. There is no official retirement as yet, but I also can’t promise I will playing again.
“My thought process right now is that if there is a really important game and the team really need me then perhaps I’ll be available. My focus is really on the final stages of my career and making sure I do what is best for my family.
“I love international football but you have to weigh everything up
and what really matters is prolonging my career for as long as possible and making sure I’m at my very best and perform as well as I can.
“Who knows what the future may hold, this may end up being my last game, it may not, like I said I don’t have a definitive answer on anything like my official retirement.”
Wells has enjoyed a leading role in Nigel Pearson’s plans this season having spent last campaign very much on the periphery. His exit in BS3 seemed inevitable over the summer having made just seven league starts but he has scored 11 goals in 37 Championship appearances,
27 of those coming as starts, this time around.
His re-emergence into the side has been credit to his own dedication, volunteering to play with the Under-23s last season in order to maintain his match sharpness. Earlier this year, Pearson described him as a manager’s dream, both for his work-rate and helping develop younger players such as Tommy Conway.
“He was never at any point negative,” he said. “He wasn’t happy not playing and I’ve always had a very good relationship with him. He focuses his energy on being ready.
“He played a lot of Under-23 games last year and he built a really good relationship with Tommy Conway in those games. He didn’t miss the opportunity to keep practicing and so like what happens in most players’ careers, they’ll have spells of disappointment and opportunity. He’s taken his opportunity with both hands.
“He’s our top scorer and at 32, he’s earned a new contract. I’m delighted he’s staying with us for another two years. He’s physically fit, he’s got an appetite to score. He helps the younger players so he’s a manager’s dream.”