Rams hail retiring legend Schulz

Joint Ramsgate boss Danny Ward paid tribute to the veteran central midfielder after the fans' favourite, pictured, called time on his career after making almost 500 appearances in 13 years at the Southwood Stadium.

Ward said: "Warren will always be regarded as a legend at this football club. He's been the perfect professional at all times. He plays football in the right way, he trains the right way. You'd love to have a guy like Warren Schulz in your dressing room. He's doing the right thing.

"He could have gone to some big clubs and made himself some good money. He was always the first name on the team sheet and he's been such a loyal man to Ramsgate."

Absent for the final weeks of the campaign, the 37-year-old scored in each of his 13 seasons with the club and was part of the 2005-06 side which reached the FA Cup First Round proper and won the Ryman Division One title.

Schulz, who established himself as captain for seven successive seasons after arriving from local football, played in a special game to commemorate their 2006 triumph last weekend and revealed he was hanging up his boots afterwards.

He said: "That's it for me now. My knee is not back to how it was and how I was hoping it would be. It's just a little bit of cartilage niggling away and I've got to be careful.

"I know in myself that it's not right, I wouldn't be able to give 100 per cent. It's a shame because I was only a dozen games away from 500 appearances for the club, that was one record I wanted but you can't have it all."

Images courtesy of www.ramsgate-fc.co.uk

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