I find this a lot. Players that are far better than me give up because they can't play at the level they are used to, can't do what they are used to or haven't got the speed they used to have.

I have seen genuinely gifted players give up like this while I, being crap, trundle on.

I put this down to, what I call, the Carl Dale effect. When asked whether he felt he had lost pace at the end of his career, Dale said that he hadn't because he never has any in the first place.

I get by in football by actually being slower than I look. I sort of creep up the wing in a dawdling manner.

I always remember asking my Dad, who had trials for Cardiff and St Helens at rugby when he was younger, if he was quite pleased that he didn't take them up as carried on playing and enjoyed rugby until he was 50 while a lot of ex-Wales players retired early to tell their anecdotes. He thought for a minute and replied "Don't be bloody stupid, I would have loved to have played for Cardiff"

I sort of feel the same but am glad that I wasn't good enough to play Sunday league as I had no ambitions and am still enjoying just playing football. I have managed to play with a couple of ex-pro players including one of my childhod heroes and played games in Europe so I am happy

Slightly related, music is similar, I am a rubbish musician who has to work hard at it but I have carried on longer than a lot of more talented musicians who gave up when they didn't reach the level they thought they should. I am too stupid to quit, I guess