AFTER playing in Europe for both Cwmbran Town and Ebbw Vale, making over 70 Football League appearances for Cardiff City and appearing in an FA Trophy final at Wembley, Risca United midfielder Nathan Wigg has brought the curtain down on his playing career.

However the 33-year-old will remain assistant manager to Risca player-boss Jeff Eckhardt, a former Cardiff colleague of Wigg's who is looking to steer the club to promotion from Division Three of the MacWhirter Welsh League.

"Not long ago, I had a leg scan and the medical people told me I've got a knee which could well have been in a car crash," revealed Wigg.

"So I've basically been playing on one leg for most of this season and when I recently picked up a calf strain, it made up my mind for me to pack in playing," he added.

Risca-born Wigg was with Cwmbran Town's youth team when he became a target of then-Cardiff manager Eddie May, who eventually handed him a three-year deal.

He went onto to become a regular in the Bluebirds' line-up, quite a feat when you consider the amount of different managers he played under at Ninian Park.

"It was like a revolving door there!," exclaimed Wigg. "There was Eddie May, twice, Kenny Hibbitt, Terry Yorath, Phil Neal, Russell Osman and Frank Burrows."

After leaving Cardiff, Wigg linked up with Forest Green Rovers, for whom he played in the 1-0 FA Trophy final defeat by Kingstonian at Wembley, before spells with Gloucester City, Clevedon, Cwmbran, Dundalk, Ebbw Vale, Port Talbot Town and Llanelli.

"My favourite time was playing under the late, great Tony Willcox at Cwmbran," continued Wigg. "Tony was a magnificent guy who we all still miss very much.

"The bunch of lads he assembled while I was there were brilliant and it's a shame to see the club not in the top flight anymore."

So does Wigg see his future in football management: "To be honest, I've not really thought about whether I have aspirations to become a manager," he said.

"I'm simply concentrating on trying to get a bit of success here at Risca and we'll see where that takes both me and the club."

Risca visit Porthcawl Town on Saturday and host Monmouth Town on January 19.