Former Spain and Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal has announced his retirement from professional football following his knee injury which has kept him out of action last season.
Monreal joined Arsenal in 2013 for around £8.5million and went on to make 251 appearances across all competitions for the Gunners.
The 36-year-old moved to Real Sociedad in 2019 in a two-year contract appearing in 69 games during the course of his contract before sustaining a knee injury that ruled him out of the 2021-2022 campaign.
The Laliga giants agreed to release him in May 2022 and the defender has decided to hung up his boots as a result.
He communicated his decision to retire via social media saying; “36 years playing football. 16 as a professional. Squeezing my body and taking it to limits that I would never have imagined, 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 “A stage is over. Another starts. I’m happy and feeling good. One more time… I FEEL GOOD!!! And that gives me peace of mind.
‘Life is a gift and I like to be grateful. Thank you Osasuna, Spain, Malaga cf, Arsenal, Real Sociedad for letting me cross your paths.
‘What a good years”.
Monreal’s professional career took off at Osasuna where he made 142 appearances before joining Malaga in 2011 and replicated the same number of games for the White and Blues.
He won three FA Cups with Arsenal, the Copa del Rey with Sociedad in 2020 and represented Spain in the 2018 World Cup.