Charlie Mulgrew will decide whether to hang up his boots at the end of the current campaign — and is adamant he will KNOW if the time is right to call it a day.
The Dundee United veteran recently triggered a one-year extension to his contract after reaching an appearance threshold.
However, the former Celtic and Scotland defender will be 37 years of age next term — and concedes that a maddening fight to recover from a thigh strain towards the tail end of 2022 gave him pause for thought.
Mulgrew, who made 37 appearances as the Tangerines qualified for Europe last term, is again fighting fit and firmly in contention to face Hibernian at Easter Road.
“I triggered another year on my contract through appearances so I have another year left,” explained Mulgrew.
“But come the summer time, there will probably be another discussion with regards to where I am. What are we thinking?
“If you’d asked me four weeks ago, I’d have told you that I was struggling to get back fit and it was tough. Your mind gets carried away sometimes. You think, “why is it taking me so long to get back?”
“I was four weeks with my thigh, then a two-week break, and I was trying to get myself back to a certain level of fitness. I know what I can do and when you aren’t doing that, you start to say, “what’s happening here?”
“But I feel back to myself now and that I’ve got lots to give.”
He added: “The moment I’m not disappointed about not playing, or if I’m on the pitch feeling miles off it — like I was four weeks ago trying to get fit — then I’ll know (it’s time to quit).”
