PREVIEW: RORY SCHLEIN FAREWELL, Wolverhampton

WOLVERHAMPTON skipper Rory Schlein says the reality of retirement is starting to sink in ahead of his Farewell Meeting at Monmore tonight (Monday).

Schlein is set to retire back to Australia with his young family after a 20-year career in British racing – the last four of which in the Premiership have been with Wolves.

He’s assembled an impressive field of 16 riders for his meeting which sees 20 heats and a Final, and the line-up includes Dan Bewley and Tom Brennan who struck gold for Great Britain in the Speedway of Nations on Sunday.

Schlein said: “It definitely sunk in after the loss against Peterborough. It really hit me when I shook Pete’s (Adams – Wolverhampton team manager) hand if I’m being honest.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Chris (Van Straaten) and Pete, we’ve had a great working relationship and that was probably the first moment where I really heard the clock kind of counting down.

“I was one of the last ones in the changing room and I was trying to take it all in. Knowing that that was it, that I’d never race for Wolves again, never ride in the top-flight again, I was choked up inside.

“I drove home with a bit of a lump in my throat knowing that it was almost that for everything.

“So it is sinking in mentally – but also my body is reminding me that I am making the right call too.”

LINE-UP: Rory Schlein, Ryan Douglas, Dan Bewley, Scott Nicholls, Adam Ellis, Nick Morris, Danny King, Drew Kemp, Jason Doyle, Tom Brennan, Jason Crump, Chris Harris, Sam Masters, Luke Becker, Anders Rowe, Kyle Howarth.