Me too, and although many will disagree, Leroy also did a good job on the axed BBC version of the Football League Show on a Saturday night, alternating as pundit with the much maligned, (in my view anyway), Steve Claridge.
I agree, an absolutely iconic picture, bruised and battle scarred. "Keep your heads up lads, all is not lost yet", although ultimately of course it was, for that particular season anyway.
Agree that as horrendous as that tackle was, it certainly didn't end his career, and choosing to hang up his boots at 34 isn't particularly early, not everyone is a Calde.
In any case if he decided to play on it would surely have only been for a couple more seasons or so, after that who knows...