What a retirement party for 43-year-old ex-Portsmouth, Leeds, Ipswich Plymouth favourite in phenomenal farewell

David Norris finally brought the curtain down on his playing career - and marked it with a farewell hat-trick in defeat.

At the age of 43, the Pompey hero has decided to retire having spent the last five years with non-league Lancaster City.

The evergreen midfielder had previously announced his intention to hang up his boots heading into the Dollies’ final match of their Northern Premier League Premier fixture on Saturday.

Yet it turned out to be quite an occasion for Norris in front of a bumper 2,012 crowd against FC United of Manchester.

After opening the scoring in the 25th minute, the veteran went on to register a 51-minute hat-trick, having previously totalled four goals this term.

However, it wasn’t quite the perfect ending to a playing career spanning more than two decades years, including that iconic St Mary’s strike.

Just seven minutes after Norris completed his treble, Charlie Ennis restored FC United of Manchester’s lead, proving to be the winner in a blistering game of football.

It meant a 4-3 loss for Norris, who was fittingly named man of the match, with Lancaster finishing ninth in the table.

He ended the season with seven goals in 37 appearances and will now focus on his career as a personal trainer, where he has found a niche coaching boxers and footballers.

It has now been 12 years since Norris netted his legendary leveller at Southampton with a stoppage-time left-footed strike in the 2-2 draw.

That arrived in April 2012 during a first and only Fratton Park season totalling 42 appearances and eight goals, before he joined all senior players in leaving Pompey to prevent the club’s liquidation.

Norris signed for Leeds in the summer of 2012, before later serving Peterborough, Yeovil, Blackpool, Leatherhead, Salford City, Shaw Lane and Boston United.

Now he has called it a day, although having come out of retirement several times previous, on this occasion it’s for definite.