DAVID Dunn wants to finish his playing career at Blackburn Rovers – and even then he hopes he will not have to leave the club.

Dunn penned a new one-year contract at Rovers this week, ending uncertainty over his future at the club, and he will rejoin his team-mates for pre-season today.

The 33-year-old will be starting his 14th year at Rovers, either side of a three-and-a-half spell at Birmingham City.

He has no plans to retire just yet but is already making plans to go into coaching, recently going on a course along with other professionals such as QPR midfielder Joey Barton.

And Dunn hopes his association with Rovers will carry on after he finishes playing.

“Hopefully it’s not going to end because hopefully at some point I can go on to that next step and develop my career into something else,” he said.

“I’ve been doing my A licence and it’s something I’m interested in doing, I’m not hiding that fact.

“But it’s something for further down the line for me. At this moment in time I’m just focusing on playing. I still feel I’ve got a lot to give.

“There was no way I was going to retire this summer. If I’d have left Blackburn I certainly would have been lining up against them next year, but thankfully I’m still here.”

When Dunn signed his previous contract in January 2012, then manager Steve Kean told the media that the deal was as a player-coach.

“I think it was a bit of a bluff to be honest,” Dunn said.

“There was something in there but I don’t think Steve ever really wanted me to get involved at that stage. I think it was more for PR.”

Dunn made 26 appearances last season but was frustrated it was not more, having been left on the bench a number of times midway through the campaign.

He aims to play as many matches as possible this term but knows he has to manage his fitness.

“I’m still relatively young although with four kids now it takes its toll!” said the midfielder, who recently celebrated the birth of his newest arrival.

“I’ll be looking to do as much as I can but I will have to manage my body. That’s what I did towards the end of the season and it worked well for me.

“I’ve been my own worst enemy throughout my career, when I’m not ready feeling slightly fatigued and I go out and try and do something.

“Sometimes that’s when I break down but hopefully at 33 I’m maybe learning my lesson.

“I find that really hard, not to join in every session, but maybe it’s time I look after my body a little bit better.

“There are going to be times with these Saturday-Tuesdays and Saturday-Wednesdays and it will not just be myself, there will be a few other players who are probably rested on a few of those games.

“But I’ve heard we’ve got 52 players so we’ve got plenty of players to pick from.”