11 big-name players who have retired in 2022: Wilshere, Tevez, Defoe…

Former Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United players are among the highest-profile stars to have announced their retirement in recent months.

The passage of time stops for no mortal being and every footballer – even Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Cristiano Ronaldo – knows they cannot continue playing forever.

We’ve taken a look at 11 notable names and familiar faces who have decided to hang up their boots in 2022.

Wilshere’s decision to call it quits will be a bit of a gut punch for those that can recall him running rings around Xavi and Iniesta when he was a teenager. For a certain younger generation, he’ll be the first retired footballer they remember breaking through as a rising star.

The lengthy statement he published on Twitter is quite stirring. Bit dusty in here, isn’t it?

I’ve lived my dream. Thank you all pic.twitter.com/rB5gnyyUlK

— Jack Wilshere (@JackWilshere) July 8, 2022

Defoe is absolutely loved up in Sunderland, as much for the goals he scored as the bond he forged with the community.

Unfortunately, his fairytale return to the Stadium of Light back in January didn’t quite turn out as planned. The 39-year-old only made seven appearances (two starts) and failed to score a goal, eventually calling it quits on his career a few weeks early as it became evident this was one job too far.

Still, Sunderland went up through the play-offs in the end, so all’s well that end’s well.

One of the most aesthetically pleasing midfielders in Premier League history, unfortunately injuries denied Dembele the chance to keep marauding around the pitch into his thirties.

He was only 31 when he left Tottenham for Chinese Super League club Guangzhou Evergrande in January 2019. Three years later he announced he was done, seeing out his