Former Chelsea and Liverpool right back Glen Johnson has announced his retirement from football, at the age of 34.
The defender, who earned 54 caps for England, enjoyed 16 years in the top two levels of English football but was released by Stoke City last summer and has been a free agent since.
Speaking to Jim White on TalkSPORT, Johnson announced: "
“I knew halfway through last season I was going to call it a day. I always wanted to retire at an age where my body still felt good.
“Every player knows when their time is up. Mentally, I always wanted to stop quite young and also you can’t always play the game the way you want to play the game when you’re 34.”
The full back struggled for playing time last season at Stoke, making just ten appearances before being released in the summer as the Potters were relegated to the Championship.
BREAKING: @Glen_Johnson has announced on talkSPORT that he has quit football.
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) January 21, 2019
Hear Glen on @JimWhite now.
📻 Listen → https://t.co/yVKGlJLkxr pic.twitter.com/Ny2N5t4rHo
Johnson made his senior debut for West Ham United aged 18 before becoming the first signing of the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea for £6m, where he won the Premier League and League Cup in a four-year spell at Stamford Bridge.
The English defender moved to Portsmouth in 2006, playing a key role in their FA Cup triumph in 2008.
His third season at Fratton Park earned him a place in the PFA Team of the Year as well as a Goal of the Season award for his superb strike against Hull City.
Glen Johnson's career by numbers:
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) January 21, 2019
16 seasons
️ 6 clubs
459 club games
gbeng 54 England caps
⚽ 18 goals
2 League Cups
1 Premier League
FA Cup
Not a bad career. pic.twitter.com/Zk7fRmxaMo
An £18.5m transfer to Liverpool followed and Johnson went on to make 200 appearances at Anfield, winning another League Cup in 2011/12.
In total, the 34-year-old made 358 Premier League appearances and represented England at two World Cups and a European Championship.
On his reasons for retirement, Johnson added: "The middle of last season my head wasn’t at the right place. I wasn’t enjoying it.
“That was the point that I thought I was going to knock it on the head. I will always love the game but I wish I could play it like I was 25 every week.
“At 34, I’m not the same player, and I didn’t enjoy that.”
Source : 90min