LEAM Richardson admits he feared he would have to retire before his return to action with Accrington Stanley at the end of the season.

The former Blackburn Rovers defender has been hampered by a persistent pelvic problem for the past two seasons and his lack of first-team games means Stanley have only been able to offer him non-contract terms for next season.

The 30-year-old is now considering his options, admitting that financial security may play a part in his decision, but he is just glad to be playing football again after his time on the sidelines.

Richardson had made only one brief substitute appearance in September before returning to play the last two games of the season.

“It was great to play again,” he said.

“Working on my own a lot of days, it was quite dark.

“There were times when I thought I wasn’t going to play again, which you would do, but now I’ve been out there again and I can look forward.

“There was a time when they weren’t sure what was going on in there, although Joyce (Watson) the club doctor has been great and I’ve been to see other people at Blackburn.

“It would have been a massive shock to have to retire because I don’t know anything else.”

Richardson initially sustained the injury at the start of the 2008/09 season but it was only 18 months later that the precise cause of his problems was finally pinpointed.

“We did get to the bottom of it in the end, initially we pondered on a few things for the first few months, which was frustrating,” he said.