Carl Magnay has opted to retire from professional football as a player following a long-term injury sustained in training.
The defender has been out of action since suffering an ACL injury last month, and has now made the decision to call time on his playing career in order to pursue a future in coaching, which will see him continue in his current role as part of interim manager Rob Elliot’s coaching staff.
The 34-year-old made 122 appearances for Gateshead across two separate spells with the club, and is the only player to have appeared for The Heed twice at Wembley Stadium – first in the 2014 National League play-off final and again in the 2023 FA Trophy final.
Magnay also played at Wembley Stadium for Grimsby Town in the 2015 National League play-off final, and appeared in the Football League with MK Dons, Northampton Town and Hartlepool United after beginning his professional career at Chelsea in 2007.
“It was difficult – it wasn’t the way I wanted to finish my career, via an injury,” said Magnay.
“It was difficult to process for a couple of weeks and took a while to sink in, purely because it was taken out of my hands.
“It was something that I was preparing for anyway, and thankfully it came at a time where I’ve transitioned straight into the coaching side of it.
“I’m fully focused on the coaching aspect and helping this talented group get to where it needs to be.”