BEING a qualified lawyer, Gudni Bergsson could not have chosen a better phrase to underline his determination that his next season with Wanderers will be his last writes Gordon Sharrock

"If it isn't, you can sue me," the Reebok skipper stressed, laughing at his own choice of words.

Having a law degree, of course, would make him eminently qalified to defend himself against any possible action but there will be no change of heart this time. The man whose impending "retirement" has been on the agenda for the past three years has made up his mind and insists there will be no going back. Next May he will say his farewells to Bolton, return to his family home on the outskirts of Reykjavic and follow in his father's legal footsteps.

"It has to end," he said with an acceptance of the inevitable. "I've never said completely that I was retiring - it's been mostly speculation from the media than from myself - but now I'm ready to say that this is definitely my last season and I will stand by that."

The veteran Icelander readily admits he has led a privileged life as a professional footballer based in England for the past decade. But in recent years, family concerns have put him in a dilemma. The decision was taken last year that his wife, Ella, and their two children should return to live in Reykjavic and, although they have been able to spend time together on a regular basis (often once a fortnight) the situation was far from ideal - for the parents if not for the children whom Bergsson describes as having "the best of both worlds".

Nevertheless, it was his wife's insistence that he should give football one final fling that persuaded Bergsson to celebrate his 37th birthday by agreeing his new deal.

"My wife realised that I wasn't quite ready to retire," he explained. "In the end she made the decision quite easy for me by saying 'I want you home fulfilled and happy after retiring from football'.

"I don't think that, if she had been unhappy for me to carry on, that I would have done. We've been through a lot together in football; she's lived abroad with me for over 10 years and it is difficult for us to be apart, even though we do come together as a family as often as we can. The kids are abolutely delighted with the situation, seeing their friends in England at Iceland. It's something they have become used to and it's good to know that they are happy. It's not ideal - we see each other every two or three weeks - but it's managable and we enjoy the quality time even more when we are together."

Amusingly, having agreed terms for his swansong, Bergsson echoed the words of so many of his friends, advisers and friends who have worked hard in recent years to convince him he is too talented, too fit and too valuable to Wanderers to even consider quitting.

"You are a long time retired and I've come to realise that," he concurred. "It is difficult when the decision comes closer and you have to convince yourself that it is what you really want.

"I think I just wanted to take the challenge and try to prove for one more season, to myself and to others, that I can play at the highest level at my age.

"As you get older you realise how fortunate you are to be part of something special like I have been here at Bolton, playing football for a living, being part of a club and having good team-mates like we have here.

"It was really difficult to let go of that. "Now I'm looking forward to enjoying it and, hopefully, I can repay the club and the manager for the faith they obviously have in me by offering me another year at this age. I'm looking for us to build on last season and go on to better things - a better position in the Premiership.

"I want my last season to end on a high note." Come May, Bergsson will be happy to call it a day but in the meantime any would-be challenger to his position at the heart of the Wanderers' defence should be warned.

"I'm not looking for an easy farewell season, sitting on the bench, cheering the other lads on," he said emphatically. "I wouldn't have thought of signing for another year if I didn't think I was good enough to have a regular place in the side.

"I would not have signed if I didn't think I could do myself and the club justice. I'll be wanting to play in every game in the Premiership."