Veteran Burton Albion goalkeeper Kevin Poole to retire

Veteran Burton Albion goalkeeper Kevin Poole will retire at the end of the season after a 32-year career.

The Football League's oldest registered player at 48, Poole has represented nine clubs, including Leicester City, Derby County and Birmingham City.

He has made 123 appearances since joining the Brewers in 2006, is also goalkeeping coach and has recently been assisting caretaker boss Gary Rowett.

"I've had a great career and 32 years is enough," he told BBC Radio Derby.

"It's taken me a while to decide. But the last couple of months it's taken me a long time to recover from games I have played in and I think it's the right decision."

Poole, who came through the youth ranks at Aston Villa, said he has some great memories from a career which spans four decades.

"I was a big Villa fan as a kid and I used to go and watch them, so to make my debut for them was unbelievable," he said.

"I had good times over the years, a good couple of years at Middlesbrough, good times at Leicester playing in the play-offs at Wembley.

"I've really enjoyed my six years here. I only came for a couple of games!"

Poole's last senior appearance for Burton Albion was in October 2010 in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy against Rotherham United.

And the Bromsgrove-born keeper hopes to play one final game in either of Burton's remaining two fixtures this season.

He said: "I will be on the bench and if things are going quite well I might get on for five minutes. But I don't know, it depends."

But he hopes his association with the Brewers will not come to an end whatever transpires.

"Hopefully, things will work out and I would love to stay on as goalkeeping coach," he added.