Former Burnley and Birmingham midfielder Wade Elliott has retired from playing, and has become manager of his last club Bristol City’s under-21 team.
Elliott captained the Robins to a League and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy double last season, but his one-year contract at Ashton Gate was due to expire this summer.
However, with the Under 21s former manager Mark O’Connor taking up the same role at Premier League side West Brom, Elliott was offered the role by his manager Steve Cotterill, and has hung up his boots to take up his first coaching role.
The midfielder, 36, said that he wasn’t torn between coaching or playing, saying: "It wasn't a difficult decision."
"Over the summer my mind was naturally leaning more towards the coaching job and how I would approach that."
Elliott started off in non-league football with his local side Bashley, before making 706 appearances across his 15-year long Football League career, playing for Bournemouth, Burnley, Birmingham City and finally Bristol City.
He played in the Europa League whilst with Birmingham, whilst tasting promotion with Bournemouth, Burnley and the Robins, scoring the winner in the 2009 Championship play-off final to send Burnley into the Premier League for the first time in their history.