GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) - Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane retired from competitive soccer Monday because of nagging injuries that have plagued him the last year.

The 34-year-old Irish midfielder, who played with Celtic this season, said he was quitting based on medical advice from his surgeon and Celtic doctor.

''I feel my only option is to retire,'' Keane said in a statement on the Celtic website.

A lingering hip injury got the better of Keane, who had said he would make a decision on his future after speaking to team physicians this summer.

''Roy Keane is one of the greatest ever players to grace the game of football,'' Celtic manager Gordon Strachan said. ''It was fantastic that we were able to bring him to Celtic and it has been a privilege to work with him.''





Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern also paid tribute to Keane.

''Today is a sad day for his legion of Irish fans, his immense footballing genius is unlikely to ever be forgotten,'' Ahern said. ''Roy Keane is one of the most decorated Irish players of all time. Over the past decade, he has been arguably the greatest midfield player in world football and has established a reputation as one of the true legends of world football.''

Between 1993 and 2005, Keane helped United win seven Premier League titles and four FA Cups. But he had several long injury layoffs and also missed out on the 1999 Champions League triumph because he was suspended for the final.

Keane left Old Trafford under something of a cloud after criticizing some of his teammates in an interview which was due to go out on the club's private TV channel.

Although the interview was never broadcast, Keane, apparently being groomed as a future coach of the Reds, appeared to lose the backing of current manager Sir Alex Ferguson and was unable to get the two-year contract extension he was looking for.

Keane signed for Celtic in an 18-month deal last December, and helped the Hoops to the Scottish league title. Keane, who scored one goal in 13 appearances for Celtic, hasn't decided whether to go into soccer management.

''People automatically think I will but I'm not 100 percent sure,'' he said. ''Especially having been in football for the past 15-16 years, I think it'd be nice to get away from it, to get off the roller-coaster for a while.''

Keane returned to Old Trafford last month for a testimonial against his former side. Before a crowd of 69,591, Keane played the first half in the green and white stripes of his current club before changing into the red shirt of United.

Keane's professional career began at Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough, who signed him from League of Ireland club Cobh Ramblers for 10,000 pounds ($20,300 Cdn). He joined United in 1993 for a then British transfer record 3.75 million pounds ($7.6 million Cdn) after 154 matches and 33 goals for Forest.

In his first season at United, he led the club to a Premier League title and FA Cup.

Keane's injury problems began in September 1997 when he suffered a knee injury while tackling Leeds United's Alfie Haaland. He missed the rest of the season with cruciate ligament damage.

Keane played in only one World Cup for Ireland, in the United States in 1994. The Irish had their finest showing at the championship, reaching the round of 16 before losing to the Netherlands.

Keane was sent home before the 2002 World Cup after a blazing argument with Ireland manager Mick McCarthy. He earned 66 caps for his country before retiring from international soccer in October 2005 after Ireland failed to qualify for the 2006 tournament.

http://tsn.ca/tsn/news_story.asp?id=168578

It's sad to see him not play in any world cup