[ad_1]
Former Liverpool and Barcelona midfielder Javier Mascherano has announced his retirement from football at the age of 36.
Mascherano, the most capped player in Argentine history, made the announcement at a press conference at his current club, Estudiantes.
He said: ‘I want to announce that today I am retiring from football professionally.
‘I want to thank this club that gave me the opportunity to finish my career in Argentina.
‘I lived my profession 100%, to the maximum that I can, and for a while now that has become more difficult.
“Sometimes you don’t choose the ending, it passes by itself.”
After winning national titles in South Africa with River Plate and Corinthians, he made a controversial move to West Ham United alongside Carlos Tevez in 2006.
The Hammers were slapped a record £ 5.5 million by FIFA for irregularities over the couple’s signing, and Mascherano moved to Liverpool the following February.
He made 139 appearances in a successful three-year span, with the club finishing four points behind Manchester United in 2008-09.
Mascherano then won two Champions League crowns and a pair of Club World Cup titles with Barcelona, along with five wins each in LaLiga and the Copa del Rey, and played in the Copa del Rey final. 2014 World Cup for Argentina.
He moved to Hebei China Fortune and Estuadiantes followed him into the twilight of his career, and the latter club gave him the opportunity to play alongside his staunch teammate Marcos Rojo.
Mascherano surpassed Javier Zanetti’s international match record of 143 in 2018, finishing with the princely total of 147.
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
[ad_2]
