The Great Dane will hang up his boots this summer
By Foley87
April 13 2003
Ex Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel will call it a day at Manchester neighbours City at the end of the current season, despite Kevin Keegan's appeal to stay on for another year.

After a month of soul searching Peter Schmeichel has decided to retire from football and will play his final game for Manchester City on 11th May against Southampton.

Explaining his decision in his column in the Sunday Times the thirty-nine-year old says that his body is simply not happy anymore and that it is time to end his playing career.

"It was the most difficult decision of my life. Playing football for twenty years had been that life and it is hard to accept that at 4.50pm at Maine Road on May 11 the final whistle will sound on just another game and another season."

"There is a time to let go, to get on with life. It is over," he wrote in the Sunday Times.

And the great Dane, who became only the second player to have captained both Manchester United and Manchester City when he led the team out in the Maine Road derby in November, revealed that he has been delighted with the way the fans have accepted him.

"I have been particularly happy about how fans in Manchester- both red and blue- have accepted me in a City shirt."

The City keeper, who came to City after two seasons with Aston Villa, told Kevin Keegan of his final decision having kept a clean sheet in the draw with Middlesbrough at Maine Road on Saturday.

And he revealed that Kevin Keegan had asked him to think again and stay for another year.

"The nice thing is that Kevin didn't agree with me. He said: "You've been good for the team. I want you to play for another year." I'd be forty at the end of the season, so it was a great compliment."

"It confirmed that I am going out at the top, and I always wanted that."

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