Former Northern Ireland defender Aaron Hughes admits he was pleasantly surprised by the love and warmth he received following his retirement in June.
Alan Shearer, a former Newcastle United team mate, was one of the first to send Hughes a congratulatory message.
Shearer tweeted: “Brilliant career, Aaron. Well done mate.”
Robert Lee, another former Newcastle team mate, added: “Started with me at Toon and finished with my son at Hearts. Wow! That’s a long, long career.”
Hughes said: “I was genuinely surprised to get messages from people, even from players like Alan Shearer who I haven’t spoken to for a few years.
“It was a bit overwhelming. It also hammered home a little bit that I had finished with playing and I couldn’t change my mind.”
But the former Aston Villa and Fulham centre back admits it will be “tough” replacing the buzz of stepping out for high profile games at a packed Windsor Park.
He said: “Those big nights with the emotion and excitement – nothing will replace that.
“Seeing the lads walk out in front of that atmosphere, that’s what I’ll miss.”
Keep up-to-date with all the very latest news, what's on, sport and everything else in Belfast and beyond with the Belfast Live app.
Only select news that interests you by picking the topics you want to display on the app's homepage. Plus, our enhanced user experience includes live blogs, video, interactive maps and slick picture galleries. Download it now and get involved.
Click here to get it from the App Store or here for Google Play .
