Gillingham boss Neil Harris has paid tribute to Olly Lee after the midfielder announced his retirement from the professional game aged just 31.

Harris spoke to KSN and was clearly emotional when he started by telling us, “I’d like to pay homage to Olly and his career, his professionalism, his ability, his beautiful family – he’s a wonderful guy!”

“We knew he was struggling pre-season but he was on fire pre-season so we kept rolling with it and then sadly his condition just got worse quickly and it became apparent to Olly and to us that he was struggling to affect training every day and in games too.”

“He had to find in his own time and his own way that professional football might not be for him now and it’s taken a while to get to the decision.”

Choked the Gills boss continued, “it’s the right thing for Olly and his family – he’s a football man, he sees the game really well; he’s doing his coaching badges already – he started that a few years ago, and I believe that he will be a very good coach, and I look forward to following his future pathway.”

“I retired through choice and it’s the “easiest” way as a footballer. It’s difficult, especially at 31 for Olly, to be told that you can’t play.”

“The statement that he released last week is good so that people can hear it from Olly directly allowing him to thank the people that he wants to thank, and by putting it in the public domain, it hopefully will stop people asking questions.”

“I do think that that will do him the world of good. I’ve spoken to him pretty much every week over the months as he hasn’t been into the club very often.”

“We just want Olly to be able to get on with his life now, into his future pathway which will hopefully be into coaching… and managing one day because I think he will be very talented!”

“He had been missing on medical grounds for something like four months now, apart from the little spell around Christmas time when he was on the bench a couple of times.”

“He knows that he’s welcome to come to the Club – he’s been popping in now and then. He came in couple of weeks ago to see the boys and I had a face to face with him.”

“We speak on the phone, he speaks to the players still, and he’s got good clubs around him too in Essex and North London that have been good to him as well.”

“So opportunities will be there for him, but he’s just got to find his own time.”

“I’d just ask people to respect his privacy at the moment – he’s had a lot of messages thanking him for his time here and at other clubs wishing him well. It will take a period of time to adapt and to come out of the pro game but hopefully it won’t be too long before he’s back in, in a coaching capacity.”

Picture supplied by Gillingham Football Club.