FORMER BULGARIA AND Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov has ruled out a return to professional football, after the English club decided against handing the veteran a new contract.
In 2013, Petrov was forced to retire after contracting an acute form of leukaemia, and trained at his former club’s camp in Austria this off-season, with the intent of a remarkable return.
It was not to be for Petrov, who was nevertheless offered an unspecified role with the Birmingham club.
“There will be no comebacks. My return to professional football has failed but I will explain the reasons at a later stage,” he told Kanal 3.
“I am glad I was able to come back and do a pre-season, but sometimes things do not work out the way we want.
“Could I become a manager in Bulgaria? Of course, but not soon. I do not want to rush. I have a lot of proposals…Now I want to devote my time to my family, as when others rested, I was training with Aston Villa and now want to spend time with them.”
After over 200 games for Celtic, where he was a key creative component in Martin O’Neill’s side that made the 2003 UEFA Cup final, Petrov became a universally liked figure in the following seven years at Villa.
Although he took part in friendlies during the off-season, new Villa manager Roberto Di Matteo ultimately did not see the Bulgarian in his plans for this season.
Been tough to get a look in with the guys he has ahead of him!
One of the most hard done by players in Irish rugby after John Cooney. Some players face clearly doesn’t fit, while others get chance after chance playing average!
@Darren Mullins: or…..there are just better players in his position. Which one of the current Lions centres who play 12 for Ireland have had “chance after chance” keeping McC out of the team?
@Darren Mullins: Dunno, got done by Scannel last time they played. Don’t think he has it for top flight, and what was Cooney doing for the previous 7 years when no one knew his name? Certainly a heap of other Ulster players with great potential in front of them.
@Ricky Wright: aki and henshaw both play 12 for club and country. They are both just better than McCloskey. He done something to piss Joe S off and with farrell as assistant whatever it was had an effect on him also.