Former Chelsea and Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand has announced his retirement from football.
- Bertrand retired live on Sky Sports
- Helped Chelsea win Champions League
- Spent majority of career at Southampton
WHAT HAPPENED?
The 34-year-old clarified that he is hanging up his boots live on Sky Sports having spent the last year without a club after leaving Leicester. He said: “Just to clarify officially I will be retiring from football. It’s been a little while but I get asked a lot of questions – ‘When are you coming back, what are you doing?’ So, just to make that official I am retiring and very much looking forward to the next steps.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Bertrand started his career at Chelsea, winning the Champions League in 2012 and earning 19 England caps in his career. He was plagued by injuries across the years and made only 11 appearances for Leicester in what would be his final season on the pitch.
DID YOU KNOW?
After hanging up his boots, Bertrand will now focus on other ventures. Little over a year ago, the full-back had set up and sold his own business and he has expressed a passion for finance that will keep him occupied in post-professional football life.
WHAT NEXT FOR BERTRAND?
As he mentioned, Bertrand is keen to stay involved in top level football, whether that be as a coach or pundit. He hinted at his excitement for the next steps so it is worth keeping an eye on where he pops up next.
