Former Newcastle, Crystal Palace, and Paris Saint-Germain, midfielder Yohan Cabaye, has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 35.
Cabaye saw his one-year contract with Saint-Etienne expire at the end of last season and the Frenchman has decided to hang his boots after 543 appearances at six different clubs.
The midfielder started his career with Lille in 2004 and helped the club win a league and cup double in the 2010-2011 season. He also made 48 appearances for the France national team.
In an emotional tweet, which he captioned ‘the final whistle’, Cabaye shared a statement which read: ‘It is with great emotion that after more than 17 years of passion, love for football, emotions greater than each other, memories that will forever remain serious in my memory, human encounters and unforgettable sports that I am announcing the end of my career as a professional footballer.
‘Even if this decision may seem obvious and unavoidable having passed 35 in the world of football, it is still difficult to take and to accept because my love for football is immense.
‘You have to know, then, to take a step back and especially measure the chance to have been able to live your passion, your childhood dream in order to be able to move forward.
‘I cannot thank enough all the people that I have been able to rub shoulders with over the past few years; my teammates, my coaches, my leaders and my presidents, the supporters of the clubs I have been through but also those of the France national team who encouraged me when I had the honour of wearing the shirt of my country.
‘Thank you my family, my friends as well as my agents who supported me and accompanies me throughout this adventure. Thank you to my five children, Myla, Charlize, Romy, Linoi and Maian for giving me so much love and strength to face certain difficult moments in the life of a footballer.
‘Thanks to all of you, I went beyond my dreams. Thank you from the heart. Yohan Cabaye.’
Newcastle tweeted: ‘Congratulations on a fantastic career @YCabayeofficiel and all the very best for the future!’ They also posted videos of two goals he scored for them against Manchester United.
After making his name with Lille, Cabaye joined Newcastle in 2011 , scoring 10 Premier League goals across his first two seasons and seven in 17 games in 2013-14 before he joined PSG in January with a bid of around £19m.
He struggled to establish himself with the Ligue 1 champions and returned to England with Crystal Palace in 2015, scoring nine goals in 96 league games.
Cabaye also had a short spell with Al Nasr before he finished his career back in his homeland with St Etienne
By Lucky B.