So that?s it, it?s all over, I?m a civilian again.

And the first thing I want to say to everyone in Bermuda is thank you. Thank you so much, all of you, for all the support you have given me over the years.

Every time I have come back to Bermuda on holiday, people have always stopped me in the street and offered their goodwill and sometimes their praise, even when things weren?t going so well in England.

And maybe they didn?t realise it, but that has meant the world to me. People might think that footballers don?t care about things like that, but we do and without that sort of support and kindness maybe I wouldn?t have gone where I did in football.

Particularly during the hard times ? and I?ve had a few over the years ? a kind word, a handshake, a ?we believe in you, Shaun?, can make all the difference and I want to thank people for that over the years.

Now it?s all over, I think I am going to find it tough adjusting to my new life outside football. I have had some great times over the years, met some fascinating people and experienced some incredible things, I have loved it all and I look forward to loving everything about my life after football.

One thing that is going to take some getting used to, is coming back to Bermuda.

Don?t forget that Anita and I left when we were teenagers and have only ever been back on holiday, normally for no more than three weeks. I have spent half of my life in England and there will be some changes to be made as we settle back in Bermuda.

But make no mistake, there is nowhere else we would rather be. Bermuda is our home and as we have been telling people in England for years now, there is nowhere else quite like Bermuda and there is nowhere else I would want to be but back in beautiful Bermuda living the paradise life.

There is plenty I am going to miss about being a professional footballer, though, and one of the big things is going to be the dressing room atmosphere. For people on the outside it is hard to explain but you are like a family with lots of different characters there and the banter is always fantastic. This last year at Southend has been great and I am going to miss that side of things.

But I am looking forward to my new life and I am going to stay involved in football. For a start, I might have retired from the professional game in England but that doesn?t mean I won?t be playing again.

Kyle and I have talked about me playing again for Bermuda and I would love to but I am not going to make a decision about that until the summer. I want to be see how things are going settling back in first.

I will also be spending my summer trying to find a Commercial team. I have spent my last season as a pro with a title and I want to be doing the same next year, so I am going to try find the right club capable of winning some silverware!

Hopefully I will be having some talks soon with the BFA about how best I can play a part helping Bermuda football. I have some great contacts now in the UK, a lot of the guys I played with are now in coaching and I would love to help do my bit to get another youngster from the Island over to England to experience what I have.

It?s been a great journey, I?ve loved every minute of it, but now it is time to call it a day. I thought long and hard about my decision to retire last year and, after a lot of persuasion from the guys at Southend and lots of great advice from some close friends, I decided to give it one more go.

Southend seemed like the right sort of club for me and I decided to give it just one more year ? and I couldn?t be happier that I did.

I couldn?t have dreamed of a better way to end my career than this, it has been a great year and we won the title ? I wish them all the luck for the future and thank them for letting me have such a dream send- off.