JASON De Vos is confident Ipswich Town will succeed in their promotion quest next season, but will have to do it without him.The Blues skipper confirmed he has retired and will be returning to his native Canada to start work for CBC television on May 17.

Derek Davis

JASON De Vos is confident Ipswich Town will succeed in their promotion quest next season, but will have to do it without him.

The Blues skipper confirmed he has retired and will be returning to his native Canada to start work for CBC television on May 17.

Earlier this year we reported De Vos had sold his home near East Bergholt, would be moving to a purpose built home in Canada, and would be pursuing a career in broadcasting.

De Vos said: “That was my last game as a professional footballer. I have known for a few months that this was going to be my last season.

“It was a very difficult decision but I felt the time was right for me to walk away from the game.

“I will be working for the CBC commentating on Toronto FC in the MLS and starting a new life in the media.”

The 34-year-old admits he is sad that he didn't achieve promotion but is confident Town will do so in the future.

He said: “It was very hard because I know that this team is going to be promoted. I know Jim (Magilton) will lead this team into the premiership and I desperately wanted it to happen this season so I could walk away knowing I had done my job.

“I came here to make that happen but unfortunately it didn't happen. The stars did not align for us.

“We did our job won our game but it didn't happen for us.

De Vos is convinced he has made the right decision at the right time. He said: “I was advised many years ago to walk away on my own terms. To get to as high a level as you can play out and then go. I have done that. I can't imagine playing for a better football club than Ipswich Town. This is the best club outside the Premier League.

“I have no regrets whatsoever and I feel in my 18 years I have played with a smile on my face and got the very best out of my limited ability.

“I have disappointments. I disappointed that I could not get this team promoted and that I never played in the Premier League.

“Those will heal over time and I will look back at the four years I have here with fond memories.”

De Vos paid tribute his wife Rachel and two children Ella and Jake, along with Magilton and his team-mates.

He said: “It has been an honour to play alongside these lads and I look forward to watching them win promotion next year.”

In the end Town missed out by a point.

De Vos said: “You finish where you finish on merit. Over 46 games we can rue missed, chances, missed opportunities and decision that came back to haunt us but we made our own luck.

“If we have been more resolute clinical away from home we would have picked up more points and we would be celebrating promotion and not missing out on the play offs.

“The boys have to look at themselves individually and examine why we didn't pick up points away from home.

“If they can do that they can go on and win promotion.”

Town fans saluted De Vos and the rest of the Blues players, along with Fabian Wilnis and Sylvain Legwinski who have also been released, as the squad did a lap of appreciation at the end of the game.

The players marked his retirement by handing him a signed shirt and a painting of Stratford St Mary.