>
Chelsea legend Gary Cahill announces his retirement from football at the age of 36, 10 months after his last game for Bournemouth, following a career that saw him win every major trophy at Stamford Bridge
- Gary Cahill has announced his retirement from football in a social media post
- The defender played for numerous clubs, including Aston Villa and Bolton
- He achieved his best success at Chelsea, for whom he played between 2012 and 2019
- He won the Premier League and Champions League at Stamford Bridge
Former Chelsea defender Gary Cahill has announced his retirement from football at the age of 36.
The former England international who also played for Aston Villa, Bolton, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth confirmed the news in a social media post.
Cahill’s best success came at Stamford Bridge, where he was part of their teams that won the Champions League and Premier League.
Gary Cahill has announced his retirement from football at the age of 36
Cahill said he had some special moments in his career, including his trophies won at Chelsea and the England captaincy, for which he made 61 appearances between 2010 and 2018.
In his post he wrote: ‘Football is a game that has given me so much joy and success and now that I’m taking the decision to hang up my boots I can honestly say I gave it everything I had.
“I’ve accomplished things I once dreamed of, creating incredible memories. From amazing highlights like winning the Champions League and Premier League, to the privilege of captaining my country and Chelsea in an FA Cup winning team will stay with me forever.
‘I’ve also made some amazing friendships with people from all over the world of football, from teammates, managers and the unsung heroes behind the scenes, I want to say a huge thank you.
Making the decision to stop playing is not an easy one. I trained every day for 20 years and tried my best to be in the best shape possible on game day to help the teams I played for be successful.
“I have had time to consider my options and after much deliberation I feel it is now time to move on to the next phase of my career.
“A special thank you to my wonderful 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, something I look forward to.
“Furthermore, football will always be part of who I am and what I love, so this is just the end of this chapter. It’s important for me to look forward, not backward, as a new chapter in my life begins.”
Cahill started his career playing Sunday League football with AFC Dronfield before being scouted and recruited by Aston Villa.
Cahill joined Chelsea in 2012 after an impressive four-year spell at Bolton
Cahill has been without a club since leaving Bournemouth at the end of last season
He made just 31 appearances in four years at Villa Park, while also being loaned out to Burnley and Sheffield United.
The centre-back was a fixture in the Premier League when he joined Bolton in 2008. He made 147 appearances for the side and received his first England international match in 2010.
His impressive displays at the heart of Bolton’s defense led to him signing for Chelsea in January 2012 for around £7 million.
Cahill made 290 appearances for The Blues, winning the Champions League in his first season and the Premier League in the 2014/15 and 2016/17 seasons.
After leaving Chelsea in 2019, he spent two seasons with Crystal Palace and spent the last campaign with Bournemouth helping them return to the Premier League with promotion.