Tevez, Defoe, Wilshere: An XI of ex-PL players who retired in 2022

The Premier League is among the most physically demanding competitions in the global game.

While athletic outliers like 37-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo prove that – with extreme dedication – it is possible for players to continue to compete at the highest level well into their fourth decade, most seasoned pros have at least half an eye on retirement as they approach their mid-30s.

Former Newcastle United right-back Davide Santon became the latest ex-Premier League player to call time on his career earlier this week.

The 31-year-old, who spent four seasons on Tyneside, has hung up his boots after failing to make a single appearance under Jose Mourinho at Roma in an injury-hit 2021/22 campaign.

In announcing his decision, per The Sun, Santon admitted: “I am forced to hang up my boots. It’s not that I don’t have offers, but my body just can’t handle it anymore after so many injuries.

“I am forced to do this. I didn’t want to, but I have to. I had endless tests and consultations, but there was nothing to be done.

“I can still walk, but that’s not enough to be a professional athlete. If I kept pushing, I’d risk needing a prosthesis. The left knee is just gone. It stops me doing lots of things.”

The 2009/10 Champions League winner (with Inter Milan) is one of a long list of ex-Premier League players to have moved on to a new phase of their lives in 2022.

Some, like Santon, have had their hands forced by injuries, whilst others have simply decided that they wish to pursue new opportunities.

Below, we’ve put together a full XI of former top-flight players who have bid farewell to the beautiful game this year.

This lot would have been quite the handful in their respective primes.

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