'As long as I'm dreaming, I'm not ready to wake up yet': Northern Ireland international Josh Magennis insists he has no intentions to retire as he opens up on becoming a free agent

The 33-year-old is currently on the lookout for a new club after he was released by Wigan Athletic at the end of the season, meaning he is a free agent for the first time in his career.

Despite the uncertainty of where his club future lies, Magennis was called-up to the Northern Ireland squad for the upcoming friendlies next month against Spain and Andorra.

He believes competing in those games can put him in the shop window for securing a new club next season.

"It's new to me in terms of being a free agent," he revealed.

"It is stressful as it's the unknown. Footballers are creatures of habit and sometimes egotistical maniacs...so we like to know when we are doing it, how we are doing it and let's just go.

"The uncertainty of not knowing where you're going back to is daunting but you've got to get to a sense of reality that you are doing something you love and you're going to be playing for another team.

"God willing I'm not out of football and I can find another club...it's just that we can deal with it and I've got a great support network back home with my family.

"I'm embracing it and I'm able to go anywhere for the first time in my career, so it works both ways.

"Playing abroad for me is no problem. The pathway we have here in Northern Ireland means if you want to play at a certain level, you have to move across the water.

"I moved away at 15 so moving on my own isn't daunting at all - it's just the family aspect.

"I've got a young family, kids are at school and that'll be the only stumbling block. If that can be managed and that can work...I'm up for going anywhere."

Magennis was club captain at Wigan Athletic but he remarked that he could see his exit from the DW Stadium happening after "open and honest" conversations with boss Shaun Maloney.

"With how football is going around the main basis is young, athletic, fit assets and can we sell them on," he explained.

"That is a fine business model and no problem at all.

"I fully feel that to have young assets, you need old heads about you. You need people to steady the ship.

"The new change of guard that happened at Wigan meant a new vision and plan.

"Me and the gaffer Shaun Maloney have always been honest with each other and that's why he made me club captain.

"I never wanted my personal situation to get in the way with our relationship. I said as long as we're open and honest with each other, then we can handle it.

"But we're adults and grown men and when I saw him at the end of the season we had an open and honest conversation. It was just my time to move on from Wigan."

Magennis has made over 500 appearances and netted over 100 goals since transitioning from a goalkeeper to a striker.

There have been 78 caps for Northern Ireland along the way – including featuring at Euro 2016 - and the veteran spoke passionately about his journey in the game from custodian to goal getter.

"It hasn't been a bad career from where it started," he said.

"It's been crazy and I've enjoyed every moment of it.

"Gareth McAuley told me there's no real middle road in football as you're either high as a kite or lower than a snake's belly.

"I fully embraced that and as much as I've had a good career, it would be ridiculous and disrespectful to say that I'm the only one who has contributed to that.

"Obviously, I go to church, say my prayers and I've a massive faith but I've had fantastic people around me who have helped me at every club until I became a senior pro.

"My wife and kids have been a massive part of that...obviously my relationships with Stuart Dallas and Steven Davis. If I've ever had a problem in football, I've always had someone to help me and most importantly if I leave somewhere, I've had someone to speak to.

"I've loved it as it's just been amazing. Football has been my life and I've been fortunate. I've always dreamt about playing football and some people's dreams last longer than others and some people's dreams are higher than others.

"As long as I'm dreaming, I'm not ready to wake up yet."

The former Glentoran trainee played down suggestions that he could retire from the game as he enters the twilight stage of his career.

He responded: "I've not contemplated retiring. I've just thought to myself when is football going to be ready for me to move on or am I going to move on from it?

"I had an honest conversation with my wife and a few of my close pals and I'm not one of those guys as I'd rather stay in too long than leave too early.

"I made a conscious decision that I'd invest in my body, I'd invest in myself and I would play for as long as I possibly could.

"I'm not one who's arrogant to believe that I should be playing at a certain standard of football. That'll just come with either age, lack of form or just opportunity and I'm willing to go anywhere.

"I'm going to stay in football for as long as I possibly can and see where we end up.”