"The importance is winning the game because it's a football game. It's not a farewell...." - Lee Casciaro says before match against BVI

Seldom seen at a national team press conference, Lee Casciaro marked his farewell from the international stage with a series of straight-talking comments that are likely to resonate across the football community.
Now in his forties, Lee is among the oldest players still competing at international level in Europe.
His football journey may have begun at the age of eight with Lincoln Red Imps, but his international career started much later, when Gibraltar joined UEFA and he was already in his early thirties. For many players, that would have been retirement age from the senior game.
That was not to be the case for Lee, who has since represented Gibraltar throughout the first twelve years of its international football journey.
Already established in a secure career as a police officer and, as he admits, "with no choice" but to maintain his dual roles, full-time professional football was never a realistic option. Yet even on the eve of his retirement from international football, Lee Casciaro was setting an example in attitude and mentality that the technical staff hope can be passed on to future generations.
For Lee, the farewell celebrations were not his focus.
"For me, winning is what's important. If we don't win, I don't care what they have after."
Grateful to have been given a final opportunity, Lee wanted to leave the international stage with a victory. However, as he readily admitted, that had always been his approach whenever he stepped onto a football pitch.
Answering questions at the pre-match press conference, Lee Casciaro was certainly not afraid to speak his mind and express his opinions. He left several lasting thoughts, none more striking than when he was asked about his first international goal.
As the first Gibraltar player to score at international level as a UEFA member, one could easily be forgiven for wanting to celebrate such an occasion. However, that was not the case for Lee Casciaro.
Yes, he remembered the goal, but not because it was Gibraltar's first. He remembered it because Gibraltar had lost the match. And he was not going to celebrate a goal when his team had been defeated.
Having arrived on the international stage later than most, while already pursuing a successful career outside football, Lee also had words of advice for future generations.
Not one to gloss over reality, he offered a perspective on professional football that many are often reluctant to acknowledge.
"You are more likely to win the lottery than you are to become a professional football player."
The comment drew a glance and nod of approval from Gibraltar head coach Scott Wiseman, himself a former professional who played throughout the lower tiers of English football before finishing his playing career with Lincoln Red Imps and representing Gibraltar against some of Europe's strongest nations.
Lee's remarks brought a sense of realism to the discussion, highlighting the challenges facing players in Gibraltar when deciding whether to pursue football professionally at a lower level abroad or follow the dual-career path that he himself adopted.
Explaining how he had no choice but to continue balancing football with his career, Lee also suggested it was unlikely Gibraltar would regularly produce players competing at the very highest levels of the game. He stressed the importance of recognising the national team's capabilities and limitations.
While some expectations placed on Gibraltar were, in his view, beyond what could realistically be achieved, he acknowledged that most supporters held realistic expectations.
Lee was also keen to emphasise the pride that comes with representing Gibraltar.
"You don't know what it means to wear that shirt until you do."
Recalling the emotional impact of defeat, he explained that every loss was difficult to take.
"I go out there to win, and you won't find me celebrating when we have lost."
Defeats such as the 14-0 loss to France were particularly painful. Living in a small community, he explained, made such results even harder to accept, as players remained closely connected to the public and were constantly aware of expectations placed upon them.
Despite this, he maintained that most supporters understood Gibraltar's position and recognised what could reasonably be expected from the national team.
Although the match against the British Virgin Islands was being presented as his international farewell, Lee had already hinted that if he performed well and still felt capable, he would be open to featuring against the Cayman Islands. Wiseman himself jokingly highlighted this possibility during the press conference, pointing to the winning mentality that Lee continues to bring to the squad.
What was certain, however, was that this would not mark the end of his football career.
While confirming these would be his final international appearances, Lee described himself as "a Lincoln Red Imps man". Having not yet had the opportunity to discuss his future with the club's new manager and board, partly due to work commitments, he remained open to conversations regarding the next stage of his playing career.
He stressed that he did not want to become a burden on either the national team or his club. However, as someone who has spent his entire footballing life at Lincoln Red Imps, he would continue to do whatever was needed.
Particularly important, he noted, was the club's objective of progressing further in European competition.
"The club now needs to get into the Conference League and get past the first rounds of the Champions League."
He described this as a necessity, reflecting the standards Lincoln Red Imps have established and the expectations they must continue to meet every season.
Having first worn a Lincoln shirt at the age of eight, Lee reflected on how he had witnessed and contributed to the club's growth into the dominant force it is today.
His loyalty to the club was evident as he confirmed that, at least for the next year, he remained available if Lincoln needed him.
As Gibraltar steps onto the pitch this evening against the British Virgin Islands, many will focus on the occasion as Lee Casciaro's farewell appearance.
However, the one person unlikely to be thinking about that is Lee himself.
Even in what may be his final international match, his attention remains fixed on one thing and one thing only: winning.
Asked what would be going through his mind at the final whistle, he was characteristically blunt.
"Nothing. For me it's the result at that precise moment. If I am losing three or four-nil, I don't care what they are going to do for me afterwards. I am going to be really disappointed because, for me, the important part is the match.
"It doesn't matter if I retire. It's got nothing to do with it. What's important for me is the actual game because I want to win. Everything I do in life is to win.
"For me, the result is important. Whatever happens and whatever celebrations happen about me, I don't really care.
"The importance is winning the game because it's a football game. It's not a farewell. It's a football game and I'm in it.
"And I thank Roy and Scott for giving me the opportunity."