Conor Coady announces retirement from football at age 33

English defender Conor Coady has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 33, after a career that spanned eight clubs and included 503 appearances. He enjoyed two promotions and represented England in 10 international matches, participating in the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship.

Cody began his career at Liverpool, where he grew up as a fan, and made two appearances for the first team, before moving to Sheffield United and Huddersfield Town. He then had his best spell with Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he spent eight years and led the team back to the Premier League, as well as participating in European competitions.

The English defender moved to Everton on loan during the 2022-2023 season after Frank Lampard gave him the opportunity to play with the team. He then had stints with Leicester City and Wrexham, followed by Charlton Athletic, which brought back his smile, as he expressed. Cody had been without a club since leaving Wrexham last August and is currently working as an assistant to Lee Carsley with the England U21 team, in addition to his role as a television analyst.

Cody said in a retirement announcement message on his Instagram account: "Football is my life, and it always has been, but everything comes to an end at some point. I never imagined that I would represent Wolverhampton in Europe or play for England in the FIFA World Cup. But the last two years have been difficult, as I have struggled to participate as much as I would have liked, because I live to play football."

He added: "I am ready now for this new step, I have given football everything I have, and I will continue to do so in the next chapter of my life, but it is time for my wonderful wife Amy and my four children to see their father a little more."

Cody received numerous messages of praise from football stars following his retirement announcement. Jack Grealish, an Everton player and his former England teammate, wrote: "You nearly made me cry, an unbelievable career, and what a wonderful person! Enjoy retirement, my brother." Harry Maguire described him as having a fantastic career, expressing his happiness to have been a part of it, while Shane Duffy and Tony Pulis also praised him, wishing him success in the next phase.