Former Tottenham and England winger Aaron Lennon has announced his retirement from football.
Lennon made 28 Premier League appearances for Burnley last season, scoring twice, but was released by the club following their relegation to the Championship.
The 35-year-old initially said he would continue playing after becoming a free agent, but has now called time on a career in which he played 416 Premier League games and won 21 England caps.
Having come through Leeds United s youth system, Lennon enjoyed a successful 10-year spell at Tottenham between 2005 and 2015, featuring in 266 league games for the club and playing a key role in their 2007-08 EFL Cup win – which remains Spurs most recent major trophy.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Lennon said: I ve finally decided that the time is right to hang my boots up. Having weighed up my options, I didn t feel any were right for me and my young family.
It has been a very tough decision as football has been my life since probably the age of three, and the last 20 years, playing professionally at the very top, has been so amazing.
There is so much I want to do and give back with all my experiences on and off the pitch and [I] will be doing so in the near future. Football world, thank you from the bottom of my heart.
— Aaron Lennon (@AaronLennon12)
