5 Legends Of The Game Who Called It Quits In 2016

Apr 6, 2019 at 2:14 PM

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5 Legends Of The Game Who Called It Quits In 2016

Football as a sport is much more than a physical activity for most fans across the world. For parts of the world, the sport has already turned into a religion while it is the reason to live for a few people as well. Over the years, the sport has provided some fine moments for fans to remember and cherish while players around the world have given their clubs and the fans of the clubs memories that will stay with them forever.

However, every year, the game looses a player who provided such moments in large in the past. We are talking about the legends of the game, who decided to quit the sport this year. A number of star players announced their retirement from all forms of football leaving their fans in tears. This year has been no different with players from all around the world calling it a day. Though some of the players’ decisions were premature, some have announce their retirement that was long due. With the year coming to an end, let’s look at the five world class footballing legends who decided to pull the curtain on their playing career this year:

Steven Gerrard (England):

Arguably, one of the best midfielders to have ever played the game, Steven Gerrard, left all Liverpool fans in tears after he announced earlier this year that he was quitting the game even at club level after the end of the MLS season. Having made 710 club appearances for the Liverpool side in his career since joining the club more than 25 years ago, Gerrard, stands as one of the best players to even play for the club and his retirement came as a blow for Liverpool fans, who wanted him to be back in the squad for the rest of the season. In his time, Gerrard helped Liverpool to a Champions League title along with a few other cup victories with his best moment coming in Istanbul. He was known for his long range screamers that gave Liverpool more than one victory over the years and his retirement is surely a sad moment for the Anfield outfit and also the football world as a whole.

Nemanja Vidic (Serbia):

Arguably, the greatest defender to have played at the Old Trafford, Vidic, was a long term servant of the club and helped them to a number of victories and titles. Having formed a superb partnership at the back with Rio Ferdinand under Sir Alex Ferguson, Vidic, helped Manchester United lift five Premier League titles and a few other cup titles along with a place in the final of two Champions League tournaments. He was a strong defender who had a peculiar understanding of the game and even the best players in the world struggled to beat him even in crunch games. He moved to Italy with Inter Milan from Old Trafford and announced his retirement early January this year after the termination of his contract and will forever remain as one of the best defenders the world has ever seen.

Antonio de Natale (Italy):

Holding a record in the Italian domestic competitions, which is one of the oldest, is no mean a feat but this 39-year old Italian forward is till date, the 7th highest goal scorer in the domestic league in Italy with his 191 goals in 385 appearances for Udinese. Though, the club has been in a turmoil over the years, failing to compete at the highest level, Natale decided to stick with them and continued to help them till the end of the previous season. Though, he lost the chance to win a silverware, Natale will always be remembered for his services to the Italian club as he almost single handedly kept them in the top flight at times over the years. With no more contract coming up, it is safe to assume his career has come to a halt making him one of the many legends of the game who called it quits this year.

Luca Toni (Italy):

A number 9 in every sense of the positions, Toni, was a target man, who had an eye for goal that was commendable. In his playing career, he played for eight different Italian clubs along with spells at Bayern Munich and one in the UAE. The best moment of his career came in the 2006 World Cup, where he helped his side reach the semi-final of the competition. Back in 2012, he lifted the Golden Boot for Serie A and became the oldest player to do so, showing his quality as a player that late in his career. However, he moved to Hellas Verona the next year and could not help them out of relegation in the previous season scoring just five goals throughout the season. This journeyman’s career is now over as he joins this list of legends who retired this year.

Daniel Agger (Denmark):

The 32-year-old defender is one of the finest players to have played for Liverpool in that position in the Premier League era. Often plagued with injuries, Agger, is a defender who is fun to watch. He is a natural tackler who hates to give his opponents time on the ball while his understanding of the game allows him to stay a step ahead of his opponents in most games. He is a crowd favorite for his antics both on and off the field at Anfield since his move back in 2006 and though he could not lift a major title at the club, he is a player that Liverpool still miss. His injury problems saw him call it quits early in his career but he could have easily gone on to become one of the best in his position if his body could have taken the stress.

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