Lucas Leiva, who made 346 appearances for Liverpool over a decade, has announced his retirement from professional football.
The news comes after the Brazilian had to step away from the game temporarily in December when a heart issue was detected in testing at Gremio, the midfielder’s most recent club.
Leiva announced the news on social media, stating;
“The day has come to say goodbye to the field. I confess that it came from greater forces, but I look back and can only be thankful for the career I built.”
The 36-year-old spoke about his time at Liverpool fondly. The midfielder earned the love and respect of the Anfield faithful for his tireless work ethic over the years.
“In 2007 I transferred to the giant [that is] Liverpool, which was part of my life for 10 years. It is with great pride that I can say that today Liverpool is my home. I’m proud to be an English citizen and along with my family; I’m Scouser!
Leiva left Liverpool in 2017 and then spent five seasons in Serie A with Lazio, before returning to his boyhood club Gremio in 2022.
