Striker as he looks ahead to the next chapters of his life
nights and Thursday nights and not getting a high at the weekend. I was on the bench a lot of the time,” he said. “My body didn’t feel like I could play 90 minutes and I was getting bits of games here and there.
“You are travelling the length and breadth of the country, in League One you are playing Peterhead, Arbroath, Montrose, Brechin. And your whole Saturday is taken up. “My last game was Montrose away, which we lost. I phoned Jim Duffy on the Monday morning. I was at a wedding that day after Montrose and I had to miss the day and go at night with my girlfriend.
“The amount of sacrifice you make in football, training on Christmas Day, playing on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, missing family events. You do make an awful lot of sacrifices and, after 12 years of that sacrifice, I felt like it wasn’t really
worth i t anymore.” That, then, was that. There are memories and magic moments for Little to recall and reminisce over but no more will be made.
His Old Firm goal in 2012 won’t be forgotten by the Ibrox crowd, and neither will his role during Rangers’ troubles. For club and for country, Little has done himself proud.
“If you told me at the age of 17 when I signed for Rangers, if you gave me a run down of the things I would achieve and the experiences I would have in professional football, I wouldn’t have believed you,” he said. “That is the truth, I really wouldn’t have believed you.
“I achieved far more than I ever expected and I loved every minute of my time at Rangers and Northern Ireland. It was incredible and experiences for me to keep for the rest of my life.
“I am proud of all of that, and proud that I didn’t give up when the head injury happened. I had a few specialists that told me to really consider retirement at that point. But I am glad I didn’t give up and I gave it another go before I felt it was the right time.”
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