Player Retirement Quotes

Every football player knows when his time is up.

The reality is that players can't play forever.

There shouldn't be a stigma about age with footballers.

Often there are players who have only football as a way of expressing themselves and never develop other interests. And when they no longer play football, they no longer do anything; they no longer exist, or rather they have the sensation of no longer existing.

For me it's just amazing that I grew up watching Tim Duncan and KG and Kobe and Paul Pierce, Allen Iverson and all those guys and now it's like, 'Man, I can't believe they actually got old.' It's like they actually walked away. It's crazy to think about, but the game has to keep moving.

I know so many players who say they wouldn't entertain coaching, until they retire that is, and then they want to take their coaching badges. I suspect this might happen with David Beckham.

If you are a player and you don't really retire by yourself there should still be an opportunity to qualify for the national team.

What you don't want to do is to hang on to the aging superstar past his prime and take resources away you can otherwise use to build a better overall team.

As a professional player, I consider my career closed, but I don't want to exclude the possibility in the future that I may return, but not as a player.

I respect his decisions, but football without Messi is not football. It is very hard to imagine football without him.

The players from Real will laugh at me, but I am a fan of Central, and that is why I could never play for Newell's. So, I tell the fans of Central to keep up their hope for me - I have always wanted to retire there.

Most of the great players leave the game under their terms.

Peter Forsberg's skills and determination made him one of the most powerful forwards in the NHL during the best years of his career. Hearing of his retirement is sad news but one day every athlete has to come to this decision. He should be very proud of all he accomplished throughout his career.

If it is possible I want to finish my career at Manchester United.

Nice, the club where I started my career in 1983, want me to see out my playing days there.

I can hardly think of any players that have really walked out of their own volition while there were still teams that really wanted them at a fair price.

I would love to retire a City player and I have my fingers crossed it is something that can still happen. When I did leave in 2005, I broke down crying on the way to sign for Chelsea, but back then, we needed the money my sale brought in.

I think the NBA will certainly survive without Michael Jordan.

Toni Kroos leaving the German national team would hurt me very much.

Milan has no reservations signing veteran players and has always taken into account the image and communication factors.

I would like to ask, Should not a player who has played 12 to 13 years for his country deserves a farewell match?