SHAUN Goater has made his name as a football star in England - but his ambition is to return home to Bermuda and use his experience to take charge of football here.

Goater, whose professional football career in England has spanned 14 years, said he wanted to be back in Bermuda "in four or five years' time" and would relish the challenge of being director of football for the Bermuda Football Association.

The 33-year-old Bermudian told the Mid-Ocean News that his thoughts had turned increasingly to life after playing since he made the decision to leave Manchester City at the end of the season.

Goater (pictured) has not started a match for the English Premier League club where he has become a fans' favourite for around nearly three months and in a conversation two weeks ago asked City manager Kevin Keegan for permission to leave.

The club's web site yesterday confirmed that Keegan had granted Goater his request.

But even as he prepares to wrench himself from the club where he has scored 103 goals in five years, Goater revealed yesterday that he was laying plans to return to City as a youth coach when he has finished playing.

"Deciding to leave was a very difficult decision," said Goater. "When a player's been at a club five years and he's not in the team it would be easy to stay and you couldn't do anything wrong.

"I'm in a situation where I have to leave because I want to play football. I get along well with everyone at the club from the directors and the coaching staff through to the supporters."

Fans were yesterday pleading with 'The Goat' to stay with City since the news that he was ready to leave was published by The Royal Gazette on Wednesday and quickly spread back to Manchester.

His hero status with the City fans was sealed by three goals this season in the two games against City's cross-town rivals Manchester United.

And he said he was determined not to burn his bridges with the club as he hoped to return there after his final two or possibly three seasons of playing elsewhere.

"I want my departure to be amicable because I want to go back to City one day to coach," he said. "Management is not something that interests me, but I would like to work with the kids, the 18 and 19 year olds. I have mentioned it to people at the club and the gaffer (Keegan) is aware of it and the directors are aware of it, but we have not gone deeply into it."

Goater will bring the Manchester City Youth Academy team to Bermuda in June, accompanied by City's French international striker Nicolas Anelka and former England player Dennis Tuert. That visit is signed and sealed and will still go ahead, even if Goater has joined another club by that time.

The player who learned the game at North Village intends to eventually come back home on a more permanent basis.

"I will return home but I think I'll be in England for another four or five years," said Goater.

"In conversation I often refer to England as home but that's because I've been here so long. Bermuda is home and eventually I see myself going back.

"I'd like to look at the option of maybe working as the director of football in Bermuda. It's something that would really interest me, having the chance to oversee the whole state of football in the country.

"I think with my experience and my contacts with corporate Bermuda, football and the BFA (Bermuda Football Association), I would be able to do the job."

Goater is already working on getting his coaching licence and said he also aimed to get a qualification in marketing before he left England.

Goater's goal-poaching ability is sure to attract numerous offers, after Keegan announced yesterday he had reluctantly given the Bermudian the go-ahead to leave before his contract was up.

"Shaun and I had a conversation a couple of weeks ago," said Keegan, quoted on the Manchester City web site. "We all know Shaun loves it here, we all know what we think of him and he certainly knows what the supporters think of him.

"He is now 33 and he feels he wants to play. That is his choice and that is the way it has to be."

Keegan said City would be asking for a fee for Goater and he praised the player for the way he had handled the situation.

""Shaun never wants to upset anyone and he hasn't upset anyone in the way he has done this," said the manager.

"He certainly hasn't upset me. He has done it 100 per cent by the book. He gave his reasons and explained he didn't want to do it a few weeks ago as he didn't want to upset the applecart."

The inaugural Annual Shaun Goater Grassroots Soccer Festival will take place on the island from June 2 to 8. Manchester City's Youth Academy team will play two games against local sides and there will also three days of soccer skills training for youngsters. For more information, look on the Internet at www.shaungoater.bm