LEE Carsley insists he still has unfinished business at Coventry City and hopes to be back one day in a non-playing capacity.
The 37-year-old midfielder is looking to carry on playing for as long as he can but has made no secret of the fact he is keen to move into coaching and management when he eventually hangs up his boots – and he’d love to come back to the Ricoh Arena.
But for the time being, the out-going skipper is confident he can continue to do a job on the pitch at another club and will, no doubt, not be short of offers after being released by the Sky Blues after a frustrating first year back that was hampered by Achilles problems.
“My only disappointment is that I came to the club with a view to helping it get back up or, at least, finish higher up the league, and I have not been able to achieve that,” said the player, who played every league game bar one, due to suspension, in the first five months of the season.
“But that’s my only regret because when I came back to the club I said I was part of the team that got relegated from the Premier League and I still don’t feel that my time is finished at Coventry, and at some point I want to come back and help them progress and get up the league.
"Not as a player but in some other capacity and I am sure that will happen at some point.
"I live in Coventry, my kids were born here and go to school here, so it means a lot to me.”
Carsley’s season ended in early January when he went for routine double Achilles and hernia operations which should have seen him back in action in February.
But his rehab was hindered by a continuing problem in his right Achilles which required another trip to the surgeon and, effectively, signalled the end of his season.
He explained:
“When I had my operations in January the plan was that I’d be out for four or five weeks and then come back and hopefully continue to push for the play-offs, which is where we were at the time.
“I think we were four points off fourth place and two points off sixth, so in hindsight – which is a brilliant thing – I should have maybe waited until the end of the season and got it done then.
“I should have had three or four weeks rehab instead and then carried on playing because obviously after the Barnsley game in January I didn’t play again.”
But the experienced player insists he’s fighting fit now and good to go for next season.
“I had the ops to get rid of tendinitis that was giving me stiffness in the mornings and after games and it’s ironic that this is the best I have felt in three or four years, so it is unfortunate,” he said.
“I trained in the last week of the season so the only thing I have been lacking is match fitness.
"I am not getting any younger but I played 26 games last season, and all 90 minutes, so it is not like I am struggling in games and coming off with ten minutes to go because I was blowing up.
"But like I say, the frustrating thing is that I couldn’t help more.”
Carsley, who will continue to support the Sky Blues, is speaking to potential new employers next week but he insists he is looking for a club with ambition.
“I love playing football and the fact that you train every day and keep fit,” he said. “And I don’t mind going down the leagues but what I don’t want to do is play for a team that is just happy to be hanging on.
"I joined Coventry because the way it was put to me was that we would be pushing, and in the first 10-15 games we were.
“That’s the type of team I want to play for. I was at the awards the other night and it is so frustrating that we were celebrating still being in the Championship and finishing 18th.
"Maybe I came to Coventry with unrealistic ambitions because I really thought I could be part of the team that would help the club get back to the Premier League – I really did.”
He added:
“I have got a few meetings next week and I will see what turns up.
"I plan to go into coaching when I finish playing but I never really imagined I would do both at the same time because I don’t know how successful you can be at doing both.
"When I put my mind to something I do it the best I can and I don’t know how that would work being a player coach.
“It is just a case of choosing the right path to go down. I have enjoyed this season, although there were parts I didn’t enjoy, but all in all I don’t regret coming back to Coventry – I just regret the way it turned out.”
