Joe Gormley could hang up his boots at the end of the season if he doesn't get offered a new deal at Cliftonville.
The 35-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season but is on a rich vein of form for the Reds at present showing class is permanent and was named the Sports Direct’s Player of the Month for November.
The ace marksman bagged his 14th of the season in last Sunday's 1-1 draw with Larne to take him on to 285 for his beloved Cliftonville and he admitted he couldn't see himself playing for anyone else.
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“If I don’t stay at Cliftonville at the end of the season, then that would probably be it for me," Gormley said when asked about his future.
“I’m sure I would probably get offers elsewhere but I’m 35 years old with two kids and a partner. I could spend more time with them at the weekend and during the week.
“There’s four days of the week that I’m out of the house for football. I would like to help out more at home. Leaving Cliftonville is not an option, really.”
Gormley has proved that age is only a number such is his hot streak this season. It was a different story over the past two years when he found his opportunities limited having to play second fiddle to the now departed Ronan hale, Ben Wilson and Sam Ashford, but he insists he never lost faith in his ability.
“It was tough. When you are coming to the end of your career, you want to play as much as you can," he said. “But when there are boys in the team younger than you and outscoring you, then they deserved their chance to play. You can’t complain.
“But it was tough going as you need a good run of games as a striker, and I wasn’t getting that. I think this year, I’ve shown what I can do when I get a run of games. I know without a doubt with my ability that I'll score goals wherever I play.
"It's probably the fittest I've been in the last two to three years because I wasn't playing at that time. Whereas now I'm playing and running a lot more. I just feel fit in my body and mind."
Gormley clearly gets the same buzz out of scoring a goal now as he did when he first started playing and Cliftonville's all-time record scorer has set himself another big target, especially if it is to be his last season.
"This year I always had it in the back of my mind that this was going to be my last season," he said. "I only scored 13 goals last season heading into this one and I thought 'no chance I'll get to 300'. I thought it was my last year but I've scored 14 this season and I need 15 to hit the 300, which I'd be happy with."
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