Sullivan Thanks the fans
Rovers Official Website caught up with legendary Rovers keeper Neil Sullivan who hung his Rovers boots up recently after 6 years at the club in order to take up a new role in his career.
Neil, you left the club last week, so can you explain your situation for the fans?
I left last week to take up a coaching role at Leeds United’s academy. I am running the academy goalkeeping side for Leeds working with the young keepers. I had the chance of carrying on playing with Rovers, but I felt this was the right time to get into coaching, and it was too good an offer to refuse. I feel at home because there are a lot of familiar faces there, which helped when I walked through the door.
Is coaching the side of the game you want to continue in?
I was up for a playing contract at Rovers but this coaching job came up and I felt that it was a great opportunity to progress my career as a coach. I have always made it clear that coaching is what I wanted to get into and this opportunity was there at the right time.
Your time at Rovers has seen some fantastic times for you?
Going back to the Johnstone’s Paint Final in Cardiff and the Play Off Final at Wembley, I have had some great days and seasons in my time here. I have won medals and had some memorable games in League One and the Championship, finishing with the Champions winning side last season. Rovers have been a big part of my career and something I am very pleased to have done. I feel very proud to have been part of Rovers during one of their most successful periods in their history. The way this club has come from the dead is fantastic, and to have been part of that is one of my proudest achievements.
The fans have always liked you at Rovers?
The fans have been great here and I hope they feel that ever since I arrived I have done my best for them. I have always felt that I had a good rapport with the fans here, and that’s why I have driven down here today to say thank you to everyone at the club and the fans for a great time at this great club.
Finally, what a way to finish your competitive career at Rovers with the Brentford game?
It was amazing from going from play-offs to Champions in such a small amount of time from the penalty I faced. I had no idea we were Champions, and we were just celebrating promotion when someone said that Bournemouth had failed to win. For Brentford to have been my last involvement with Rovers was an amazing end, and a good way to go out really. To leave on a high with the club being crowned Champions seemed appropriate that I wore the kit for the last competitive time. Now I go to bring young lads through into the professional game and hopefully they can have the great career I have had.