Jimmy still bullish!

Former midfielder Jimmy Bullard wants to prove he can still boss a game - by becoming a football manager!

The 34-year-old ended his playing career last month due to the effects of an on-going knee injury.

Bullard, who made 339 career appearances for six clubs, told The Fantasy Football Club he's already missing the game but hopes to stay in it in some capacity.

"I went to see a specialist and he said 'you're knee's knackered' and I was getting pain with it; it deteriorated and it got worse and worse," said Bullard.

"When I had the injury I was playing for MK Dons. I got a bit of a dead leg and a lot of fluid dropped down to my knee and I'd just had enough of being on a medical bed, to be honest, and called it a day.

"I miss the Saturdays - 3pm comes and the football's on and Sky Sports are showing everything and Merse is on the box. I do miss the Saturdays. Mondays to Fridays not so much, every-day training can get a bit on top of you, but I miss the football.

"I do miss going in and seeing the boys - 20 boys in the same room having a crack. But you've got to call it a day someday."

Bullard, who counts Wigan, Fulham and Hull among his former clubs, enjoyed a stint on Sky Sports News last week reporting from Newcastle.

"I had a go and I enjoyed it," he said. "Merse is earning a killing out of it so I thought I'd give it a bash! I'd like to give it a crack - I haven't got a job at the minute so something's got to pay the bills.

"I'm going to give my coaching badges a crack in the summer; I've spoken to Karl Robinson at MK Dons - he's a great lad and he's going to help me out there, so we'll see how it goes. I'd like to be a manager one day! I'd play pure football; pure dictation of play."

In the meantime Bullard has plenty of time to indulge his many sporting pursuits, which include match-fishing for Dorking - who he describes as 'the Manchester United' of the fishing world.