SAINTS wing Ade Gardner says he feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders after his decision to hang up his boots and join the club’s backroom staff.

The man dubbed the Barrow Arrow had already decided to call it a day when his contract at Saints expired at the end of 2015 – so he was delighted to take on this new role and has already started work.

Gardner, who spent the whole of last season out on loan at Hull KR, said: “It was sort of hanging heavy on me over the off season, just not knowing where I was going to be and what I would be doing for the next 12 months.

“It was quite set in stone – I had discussed it with my partner and I was going to retire at the end of 2015 regardless.

“But then I was also conscious that I wanted to enjoy my last season playing – but you wonder where I was going to play, what position and whether I would get much game time.

“As soon as I made this decision it was like a big weight being lifted off my shoulders and I am really excited to be given the opportunity.”

Like any professional sportsman, Gardner said coming to terms with not pulling on the red vee again was tough, but he said there were also bigger concerns to weigh up – not least the worries over a series of heavy head injuries that brought his 2012 season at Langtree Park to a premature end.

“Finishing playing is hard, but I have had a couple of injuries over the last couple of years which are difficult to play through.

“The last couple of years I have had a couple of head knocks and that does start to get a little bit scary.

“I have a young family – so you don’t want to be in a position where you are jeopardising their futures with your health. There is a lot of research now in that area in to possible long-term problems with repeated head injuries.

“When I look back at my career there is not too much more I could have done or achieved and as I have ticked most of the boxes as a winger.

“You then put yourself in a frame of mind that why then put yourself in jeopardy by chasing that extra bit, when you have accomplished pretty much everything that you have wanted to,” he said.

Gardner’s new job will be working under the head of strength and conditioning Matty Daniels – and he has already started with the majority of the players back in training after a four-week break.

He is looking forward to working under new coach Keiron Cunningham too.

“I have known Kez for a long time and had the privilege to play with him until the end of his career.

“If Kez had told me to run through a brick wall when I was playing I’d have done it without questioning. Anything I can do to help him I will – because he has helped me out loads and has been there throughout my career, and been there with every trophy win.

“He is one of those people you want to work for and play for and I am quite envious of the players,” he said.