"Niall Quinn's hotel rooms are the best...."!

Retired Sunderland legend Niall Quinn is combining his football know-how with business acumen to make the most of a new investment.

Quinny moved back to his native Ireland after retiring from professional football, and it's been reported today that he's bought shares in the exclusive Killashee Hotel in his homeland, with a view to having some input into forthcoming refurbishments aimed at attracting sporting clientele.

Quinny hopes to market the venue as somewhere for footballers to go and get away from the pressures of top flight football. "It's nicely secluded, offering privacy, and we have ambitious plans to provide top-class training facilities," said Ireland's all-time top scorer. He and his new partners hope to add three state-of-the-art football pitches and a health spa to the four-star hotel - a night in which will set you back from €215 to €415.

Quinny will also apparently be runing fitness sessions from the hotel three times a week, for members of its leisure club.

But this isn't Big Niall's first sortie into the world of commerce - he also owns shares in pubs in Carlow and Clonmel, and is hoping to set up a horse breeding operation at his farm near Kildare.