Former Arsenal midfielder, Aaron Ramsey, has announced his retirement from football, ending a professional career that spanned two decades.
The 35-year-old leaves the game after making more than 250 Premier League appearances for Arsenal and earning 86 caps for Wales, scoring 21 goals for his country.
Ramsey had been without a club since leaving Mexican side UNAM by mutual consent in October last year. His move to Mexico came after a return to boyhood club Cardiff City, where he also briefly served as interim manager.
Announcing his retirement on Instagram, as reported by Sky Sports, Ramsey wrote, “This has not been an easy decision to make. After a lot of consideration, I have decided to retire from football.
“Firstly, I want to start with Wales. It has been my privilege to wear the Welsh shirt and experience so many incredible moments in it. It would not have been possible without the incredible input of all the managers I have played under and all the staff who have helped me in many ways.
“To the Red Wall. You have been there through thick and thin! You have been there through the highs and lows, and you have been an essential and indispensable part of our success. I can’t thank you enough. We’ve been through everything together and it’s been an honour to represent you. Diolch.
“Secondly, thank you to all the clubs I’ve been lucky enough to play for.
“Thank you to all the managers and staff that have helped me be able to live my dream and play at the highest level.
“And a huge thank you to my wife and children and all my family. Without you by my side throughout, none of this would have been possible.”
Ramsey first emerged at Cardiff City in April 2007, becoming the youngest player in the club’s history at the age of 16 years and 124 days.
After quickly establishing himself in the first team, he joined Arsenal less than a year later in a deal worth just under £5m.
Although injuries slowed his progress during his early years in north London, Ramsey was named Welsh Young Player of the Year in both 2009 and 2010.
He later became a key figure in Arsenal’s midfield, making 369 appearances and scoring 64 goals for the club.
One of his best campaigns came in the 2013/14 season when he reached double figures in Premier League goals and helped the Gunners win silverware.
Ramsey lifted three FA Cups during his time at Arsenal before joining Juventus in 2019. In Italy, he won the Serie A title under Maurizio Sarri and added the Coppa Italia a year later.
He also enjoyed a loan spell at Rangers, where he won the Scottish Cup and reached the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ramsey came on in the 117th minute of the final and later missed the decisive penalty as Rangers were beaten 5-4 in the shootout.
Despite that disappointment, he went on to play a role in Wales’ first World Cup appearance since 1958, starting all three of their matches at the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
