Former Hearts of Oak Star Bernard Don Bortey has called time on his storied career spanning more than two decades.

Don Bortey had a hugely successful career at Hearts but not without the frequent controversies that came with him.

The mercurial midfielder in his prime says he now wants to venture into the murky waters of coaching.

To many he was a local champions who only set tongues wagging on the local scene especially during Hearts vs Kotoko matches but was never able to replicate that  talent outside the shores of Ghana.

The 37 year old Hearts legend admits there were glaring flaws about his career he is not proud of but hopes it guides him in his coaching career.

"I’m not God. Maybe where I reached was the stage God wanted me to finish it for someone to come and continue. I have pain in me but it’s past," the former winger added.

"I have to put it behind me because I have three kids who are all playing football, so I have to focus on pushing them. I could not do it but maybe they can do it for me.

"I want to be a coach now. I’ve retired. I was not 100 per cent sure but I have done it.

"I’m still playing football but not competitively. I don’t want to play any more competitive leagues like the Ghana Premier League because I have made the name already.”

"Everybody knows my name in Ghana football. So I have to leave for the young ones to take over. Now, I’m a coach. I’m not a footballer anymore. I’ve retired."he concluded.

The stylist winger played  for Al Wasl FC of the United Arab Emirates, Bnei Sakhnin of Israel, Vietnamese side CLB Song Lam and The Panthers of Equatorial Guinea in a series of brief, unsuccessful stints abroad.

He won four league titles with Hearts of Oak as well as the CAF Super Cup and the Confederation Cup in 2001 and 2004.

Bortey had more than 20 caps for Ghana and was the joint top scorer in the Ghana Premier League in 2002 with 18 goals.