Quinn turned down coaching role

Quinn officially announced his retirement from the game, because of an on-going back problem, during the interval at the Black Cats' home game against Spurs on Sunday.

He said: "Howard Wilkinson did offer me a coaching role at the club on his very first day and I turned it down, then he offered it again the next day and told me to think about it.

"I didn't turn it down as a mark of disrespect, I turned it down because I don't think I want to be a football coach."

However, Quinn refused to rule out a return to football at some point in the future, admitting that he would find an offer from ex-Sunderland boss Peter Reid hard to turn down.

He said: "Peter is the only person I would have got involved in coaching for.

"If he got a job in the future and asked me if I would help him then it would be very hard to say no because he stood by me five or six years ago when I thought my career was finished and instead gave me the best five or six years of my life football-wise."

Tottenham match report