Arsenal Hero Announces Retirement from Football After Missing Entire Season with Injury

Arsenal Hero Announces Retirement from Football After Missing Entire Season with Injury

Fred Kennedy
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:09 PM
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  • Nacho Monreal has brought his football career to a halt after announcing his retirement from the game
  • The 36-year-old revealed that he decided to call time on his career due to a knee issue which kept him out of action for the entirety of last season
  • Monreal played 450 career matches at the club level after stints with Arsenal, Real Sociedad, Malaga, and Osasuna

Ex-Arsenal star Nacho Monreal has retired from football after he suffered a career-ending injury.

Monreal spent six years at the Emirates, having joined the Gunners in 2013 before he left at the end of Unai Emery's first season at the helm.

Nacho Monreal, Arsenal, Real Sociedad, Premier League, La Liga, Osasuna, Malaga.
Nacho Monreal celebrates after scoring during a Premier League match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium. Photo by Clive Mason.
Source: Getty Images

His departure from Arsenal saw him move to the La Liga, signing for Spanish side, Real Sociedad.

While his first two years at Sociedad were successful, his final year at the club failed to go according to plan.

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According to The Mirror, the Spaniard missed the entirety of last season due to a knee issue, leaving him with no option but to hang his boots.

Nacho Monreal announces his retirement from football

Monreal took to Instagram to announce his retirement from football, revealing that he "cannot continue."

"36 years playing football. 16 as a professional. Squeezing my body and taking it to limits that I would never have imagined," Monreal posted.
"My knee sends me a message… loud and clear; I cannot continue! Do I get mad? NO! I listen to it and accept the situation and thank it for everything," he added.

The Spanish defender has played 450 club career games and earned 22 caps for the national team.

Gabriel Jesus delights Arsenal fans with an awesome first Premier League goal

Sports Brief had earlier reported that Brazilian forward Gabriel Jesus opened his goal-scoring account for Arsenal in the Premier League with a peach of a goal in Arsenal's home game against Leicester City.

The 25-year-old forward ended his five-trophy-laden years with Manchester City when he completed a switch to Arsenal this summer and has since not looked back.

Jesus, who was in explosive form during pre-season - scoring seven goals in five games - did not get off the mark on his Premier League debut for the Gunners against Crystal Palace, but it was only a matter of when and not how he will break his goalscoring duck.

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Fred Kennedy
Fred Kennedy has a Bachelor's degree in journalism (Daystar University), currently working as a Sports Editor. He has more than five years of experience in digital journalism.
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