Stewart Downing calls on time on career at age of 37
The winger made more than 750 professional appearances during a 20-year career.
Stewart Downing has announced his retirement from football at the age of 37.
The winger has brought to an end a 20-year professional career that saw him make more than 700 club appearances and play 35 times for England, where he was a part of the squads for the 2006 World Cup and 2012 European Championship.
Downing most recently spent a two-year spell with Championship club Blackburn, before leaving Ewood Park at the end of June when his contract expired.
Reflecting on his career, Downing said in a post on Twitter: “After some time to relax and reflect with my family over the summer, I have decided the time has come to retire.
“I would like to thank all the football clubs I played for and all of the fantastic fans and staff. I would like to thank all of the great managers I played for.
“As a kid, I could only have dreamed of playing for the clubs I played for and getting to share a pitch with some of the players I shared a pitch with. I played with and against some unbelievable players over the years.
“I look back at the 35 times I played for England with immense pride and I made some incredible memories that will last a lifetime.
“I feel very lucky and unfortunate to have had the career I had.”
He left for Aston Villa following Middlesbrough’s relegation from the Premier League in 2009, before joining Liverpool in 2011.
A further two-year spell with West Ham followed from 2013, before he completed a return to Middlesbrough where he helped the club win promotion back to the top flight in 2016.
He would go on to feature a further 170 times for the Teesside club, before his final move to Blackburn in 2019.
