STEPHEN McManus is now looking forward to a new chapter beginning after closing the page on his playing career.

The 34-year-old announced his retirement from football at the same time as Motherwell announced the defender would be taking up a position as a coach in their academy.

Mostly recognised for being the man to captain Celtic in the Champions League as well as his country, McManus has spent five years at Fir Park on the back of a three-year stint at Middlesbrough.

Fir Park has become his new home and, with his influence being felt in the youth ranks in recent months, he reckons now is the time to hang up his boots for good.

“Obviously when it comes to the point where you are going to officially retire from playing, you always do so with a bit of a heavy heart," said McManus.

“However, I’ve given this a lot of thought and I believe this is the right time for me, particularly with the club giving me this opportunity in a new era for Academies in Scotland.

“I am also very excited to be learning from the great coaching staff we have at Motherwell at the moment; that was the main attraction for me. I want to develop myself as a coach and this is a wonderful opportunity.

“I want to thank the fans of every club I’ve played for, particularly at ‘Well where I’ve enjoyed myself tremendously over the past five seasons. I now look forward to the next chapter in my career.”

With McManus now moving into a coaching role, Motherwell will surely continue to feel the benefits of his experience. Perhaps on an even wider scale.

Three SPL titles, two Scottish Cups and two League Cups make up the haul brought in by a man with over 200 Celtic appearances under his belt.

This is a back catalogue of hits now at the disposal of Motherwell's next generation.

“We are absolutely delighted to be brining someone like Stephen onto our staff as he will be a huge asset to the club," said Well manager Stephen Robinson.

“He’s a former Celtic and Scotland captain and has played almost 500 career games; that’s a wealth of experience that our younger players now have at their disposal.

“It was a massive decision for him personally and it’s a real testament to Stephen as a guy that he wants to make this step at this stage of his life.

“I believe he’ll make a tremendous coach one day and he’s doing it in the correct way, getting his badges and doing the hard work on the training ground first.”

Academy director Scott Leitch added: Academy Director Scott Leitch said: “We’re delighted Stephen has formalised his role within the Academy and he can step up some of the excellent work he’s already carried out with us.

“We’ve got a great tradition of ex-Motherwell players giving back to the Academy; as well as Stephen, we’ve also had the likes of Willie Pettigrew, Steven Hammell, David Clarkson, James McFadden, and Keith Lasley.

“This will only enhance what we can offer and I am excited to be working with Stephen in the months and years to come.”