Former Chelsea and England defender Gary Cahill has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 36
The former England international, who also played for Aston Villa, Bolton, Crystal Palace, and Bournemouth, shared the news on social media.
Cahill began his career at Aston Villa and was loaned out to Burnley and Sheffield United before joining Bolton in 2008.
After excelling over his four years at Bolton, he signed a £7m deal with Chelsea in January 2012.
Cahill achieved his greatest success at Stamford Bridge, where he won every major trophy, including the Champions League and Premier League.
Cahill appeared in 290 games for the Blues, winning the Champions League in his debut season and the Premier League in 2014-15 and 2016-17.
He left Chelsea in 2019 and spent two seasons at Crystal Palace before joining Bournemouth, where he helped them return to the Premier League with promotion.
His retirement comes only a day after another former England international, Aaron Lennon, announced his own retirement.
See Also: Laporta Says Barcelona Were Interested In Liverpool’s Luis Diaz
Gary Cahill Announces Retirement From Football
The 36-year-old released a statement on social media announcing his retirement, which read: ‘Football is a game that has given me so much enjoyment and success and as I make the decision to hang up my boots, I can honestly say I gave it everything I had.
Thank you 🙏https://t.co/vsOB5m4fLZ pic.twitter.com/m2YSdNBPk9
— Gary Cahill (@GaryJCahill) November 16, 2022
‘I’ve achieved things I once dreamt of, creating some incredible memories. From amazing highs like winning the Champions League and Premier League, to the privilege of captaining my country and Chelsea in an FA Cup winning team will remain with me forever.
‘I’ve also made some fantastic friendships with people across the football world, from teammates, managers, and the unsung heroes behind the scenes, I just want to say a massive thank you.
‘Taking the decision to stop playing is not an easy one. I’ve spent 20 years training every day, putting in the work to be in the best possible shape for matchday to help the teams I’ve played for be successful.
‘I’ve had time to consider my options and after much deliberation and reflection I feel now is the time to move on to the next stage of my career.
‘A special thank you must go to my amazing family who have supported me and been there every step of the way. I now have the opportunity to spend some quality time with them which is something I’m looking forward to.
‘Beyond that, football will always be part of who I am and what I love so this is just the end of this chapter. For me it’s important to look forwards not backwards as a new chapter in my life begins.’
COMMENTS