Former Barcelona and Spain striker David Villa has announced his imminent retirement from professional football after a great career.
The 37-year-old has released a statement on his official Twitter account stating his plans to retire after competing in the Emperor’s Cup with current club Vissel Kobe on January 1st.
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It will no doubt be a shame to see Villa hang up his boots after so many years of dazzling performances, but he can look back fondly on a hugely successful career at the highest level.
It is my objective to put the cherry on top by winning the Emperor’s Cup with @visselkobe on January 1st. From then on, I will continue to enjoy football through all the projects that we’re currently developing with DV7 group. Thank you for all the love.
— David Villa (@Guaje7Villa) November 13, 2019
A lethal centre-forward, Villa first showed his credentials as a world class player at Valencia, for whom he scored 129 goals in 255 games over the course of five seasons.
This saw him become a regular for the Spanish national team, with whom he won Euro 2008 and the World Cup in 2010 before then earning himself a big transfer to Barcelona.
Although he often played out of position to accommodate Lionel Messi, Villa continued to shine at the Nou Camp and played his part in the club winning the Champions League in his first season, with his goal in the 2011 final wrapping up a 3-1 win over Manchester United.
Villa later played for Atletico Madrid, New York City, Melbourne City and Vissel Kobe, and finishes his career as the all-time leading goal-scorer of the Spanish national team, with 59 goals in 98 caps.