Former Manchester United and City striker Carlos Tevez has confirmed his retirement from professional football following the death of his father.
The 38-year-old has been part of some of Europe's biggest clubs, including both Manchester clubs and Juventus.
Tevez played in the Premier League from 2006 until 2013, memorably helping rescue West Ham United from relegation in 2006-07 and swapping Manchester United for Manchester City in 2009.
He also had three spells with his boyhood club Boca Juniors at home in Argentina. Tevez cited the loss of his father in early 2021 as a key part of his decision to stop playing, despite having offers to continue.
Tevez hasn't played a competitive match since leaving Boca in 2021. Tevez told Argentine talk show Animales Sueltos, as per goal.com: "I've retired, it's confirmed. I had offers from many places, but as a player, I had already given everything I had."
"My last year playing [at Boca Juniors] was very hard because he (Tevez's late father, Segundo Raimundo) was brain dead. I woke up one day and told Vane (Tevez's wife, Vanessa): 'I don't want to play anymore'.
"I called Adrian (Tevez's agent, Adrian Ruocco) in the afternoon and told him: 'Look, I'm not going to play anymore. I'm retiring'. They asked me all the time why I had stopped playing until I told them: 'I stopped playing because I lost my number 1 fan'. I was eight years old and he was the one who came to watch me."
"Why else have I decided to retire]? I told them: 'I don't play for anyone anymore'. I think that (his decision to retire) was the only time I really thought about myself. I had lost my number one fan and that made me not want to play anymore," the Argentine added.
Tevez, who also played for Corinthians and Shanghai Shenhua, finishes his career with 308 goals from 746 club appearances. He won 76 caps for Argentina, scoring 13 goals.
Tevez won numerous titles and trophies during his 20-year playing career, including five Argentine top-flight titles across his three spells with Boca Juniors. The 38-year-old secured six additional trophies with Boca, including the Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup in 2003, and two years later he would go on to win a Brazilian league title while with Corinthians.
During his time in English football, Tevez won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008, as well as two Premier League titles with the Red Devils before his infamous move to bitter rivals City.
The Argentine won the Premier League title for the third time in his career with City and also claimed FA Cup glory in the 2010-11 season under Roberto Mancini. Tevez would win four trophies during his spell with Italian giants Juventus, including two Serie A titles, while he won the Chinese FA Cup in his short time with Shanghai Shenhua.
( With inputs from ANI )
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