15 January 2020

Former England and Juventus footballer Eni Aluko announces retirement at 32, saying she's going out 'on a high'

Former England player Eni Aluko has announced her retirement from football saying she's 'going out on a high'.

Aluko left Juventus six weeks ago after just 18 months with the Serie A side.

Throughout her career she won five FA Cup titles and three English domestic trophies while at Birmingham, Chelsea and Charlton. She also won the league and domestic cup in the Italian league and played for US sides Saint Louis Athletics, Atlanta Beat and Sky Blue FC.

Aluko was capped for England 102 times and played at three World Cups and two European Championships. She also represented Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics.

Aluko played 102 times for England (PA Images)

She was involved in a discrimination case against former England boss Mark Sampson in 2017 and has not played for the national team since 2016.

The Football Association apologised to Aluko in October 2017 for racially discriminatory remarks made by the Welshman in 2014.

She told The Guardian: “I very much feel like I’m ending on a high, with a sense that there’s not much more I can do in the game.

“There is nothing that could motivate me to keep playing for another two or three years aside from a love of the game, which is something I can express through other avenues.

“I spoke a lot to Karen Carney and Claire Rafferty, two mates and former England internationals who retired at the end of last season. I asked them when they knew the time was right for them to hang up their boots and they both said they knew about six months before, which has also been my experience. I think when you know, you know. You get the feeling that it’s enough.”

The 32-year-old has been preparing for her second career as a director in football.

"The truth is that I feel ready for the next period of my life, and I feel very excited. There is a new chapter about to start for me, one that will be full of fresh challenges. As my playing career comes to an end, I feel a real sense of closure.”

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox