End of the road as Carr quits

FORMER Newcastle and Tottenham defender Stephen Carr yesterday announced his retirement from football.

The 32-year-old right-back has decided to hang up his boots after failing to find himself a new club.

Carr has been without a club since leaving Newcastle at the end of last season and has been linked with a number of sides.

However, the ex-Republic of Ireland international has been unable to find a club and he has now opted to quit the game.

In total, Carr won 44 caps with Ireland — in an international career that spanned from 1999 to 2007 — and made over 300 first-team appearances for Tottenham and Newcastle.

Carr made his White Hart Lanedebut in 1993 but it wasn’t until the 1996-97 season that he established himself as a regular first-team starter at the club.

The defender picked up the only major honour of his career when he played a key role in Spurs’ League Cup win against Leicester City.

Carr signed for Newcastle United in August 2004 but his time at Tyneside was in interrupted by a series of injuries.

In the 2005-06 season, he only managed to make 19 league appearances for the club as the persistent kneeinjury ruled him out for two months while a fractured foot severely curtailed his involvement during the 06-07 season.

Carr’s career at Newcastle ended in the summer when then Magpies manager Kevin Keegan decided against renewing his contact. Since then he had been linked with moves to Aston Villa, West Ham United, Wigan Athletic, Hertha Berlin and Bohemians.

He also had a trial with Leicester City before yesterday’s announcement that his playing career is at an end.