Former Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano on Sunday announced his decision to retire from football.
The 36-year-old was contracted with Argentine club Estudiantes de La Plata until the end of the season but announced his decision to hang up his boots.
He started his career with River Plate in 2003 before earning a move to Brazilian club Corinthians in 2005, where an impressive one-year stint caught the attention of Premier League club West Ham.
His transfer to the London outfit, alongside striker Carlos Tevez, came as a surprise at the time as he was linked with other top European clubs and was marred with controversy because of alleged involvement of third parties.
He was loaned out to Liverpool the following year and was a key cog in Rafa Benitez’s side, which reached the Champions League final in 2007 and mounted an ultimately failed title challenge two years later.
In 2010, Mascherano realised his long-time dream of playing for Barcelona and enjoyed a stellar, trophy-laden eight years with the Catalans.
He won five La Liga and two Champions League titles among a plethora of other trophies during his time in Spain.
He then moved to Chinese side Hebei China Fortune in 2018 and returned to Argentina the following year.
“I want to announce that today I am retiring from soccer professionally. I want to thank this club that gave me the opportunity to finish my career in Argentina,” Sky Sports quoted Mascherano saying at a presser.
The most capped player in Argentina history, Mascherano was pivotal in their run to the 2014 World Cup final, where the Albiceleste were defeated by Germany in extra-time.
