'Club legend' - former Chesterfield midfielder retires from football and announces next career move

Chesterfield-born Lloyd Kerry, 33, who was at the Blues between 2008 and 2010, making 51 appearances, will hang up his boots at the end of this season.

The Harrogate Town midfielder is quitting playing to take up a new role as head of player recruitment at the League Two club.

Kerry has been at Harrogate since 2014, is the club’s longest-serving player and has made more than 220 appearances.

His eight-year spell at the club has been a huge success, winning two promotions from the National League North and National League and lifting the FA Trophy.

In a statement Harrogate said he will go down as a ‘club legend.’

There will be a celebration for him on the last day of the season when Harrogate host Sutton United on May 7.

His new role will include scouting players for the first-team and the academy.

Reflecting on his time at Harrogate, Kerry said: “I look back to when I first joined this football club in 2014 to where it is now eight years on and it’s unbelievable how far we’ve come and the success we’ve had. I’m grateful to have been on that journey which has created so much history for this club, I can always look back with pride of what we achieved together. We’ve made memories that will last us a lifetime and to have played my part is something I’ll never forget.”

Manager Simon Weaver added: “We’ll miss him being in the squad and he’s without doubt a club legend in my eyes and in many who have followed Harrogate Town over the years.”

Chairman Irving Weaver recalled the moment they knew they had to sign him: “On a cold winter’s night in 2014, Simon and I travelled to watch Lloyd who then played for Tamworth and he slotted home the winner into the bottom left-hand corner from the edge of the box, I can still picture the image. That was the final trigger for Simon to sign ‘our man’ and over eight years later we are more than grateful for his contribution, honesty and loyalty to the club.”