Retired Stearman knew 'writing was on the wall'

Richard Stearman totalled 574 career appearances - almost half of them (253) with Wolves

Richard Stearman says he knew the "writing was on the wall" after announcing his decision to quit playing at 36.

Almost 20 years on from making his Leicester City debut in October 2004, he has now turned to full-time coaching with last season's National League promotion finalists Solihull Moors.

He was part of the Solihull squad who reached Wembley twice in a week at the end of 2023-24 - and was an unused substitute as the Moors lost to Gateshead in the FA Trophy final, just seven days after missing out on a place in the Football League - to Bromley in the National League promotion final.

Both games were decided on penalty shootouts - but former Leicester, Wolves, Ipswich Town, Fulham, Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town and Derby County defender Stearman admits he has been quite close to packing in the game for both the past two summers.

"As you get older as a player you know the writing is on the wall a bit," he told BBC Radio WM. "I've been close to retiring now for the last two seasons before deciding to play on.

"Coming into Moors last summer they said we'll give you the opportunity to play but also let you have a look at the coaching side as they knew that was the route I wanted to go down. It worked quite well and I ended up playing quite a bit. And I got a good taster for the other side."

In the end, having not played over the final two months of last season, he was only an unused substitute on the bench for the second of Moors' Wembley finals.

It was therefore perhaps an easy decision for both player and club when the time came to discuss the coming season with director of football Stephen Ward - his old Wolves team-mate - and manager Andy Whing.

"I sat down with the club and we decided it was best if I was helping on the coaching side and available to be in the office and on the training pitch on a day-to-day basis," said Stearman.

Richard Stearman's Alan Shearer celebration after scoring in the first minute in an FA Cup tie against a reserve-strength Liverpool side at Anfield in January 2017 is a treasured memory for a lot of Wolves fans

"I've been lucky enough to represent some fantastic teams. Leicester City were the platform before I left to join Wolves, where I had a lot of my career highs.

"Scoring at Anfield, a couple of promotions and a couple player of the season awards, promotion with Sheffield United, playing for England through the age groups and even at the end with Solihull making two Wembley appearances in a week.

"It has been great but there comes a time when it has to be done. It was emotional when it finally hit me. But now, having seen the positive way the lads have reported for pre-season, it's all about looking forward."

Moors will start the new National League campaign at AFC Fylde on Saturday, 10 August.

Richard Stearman was talking to BBC Radio WM's Daz Hale