Manchester United and Portugal great calls time on 19-year football career

Former Manchester United and Portugal star Luis Carlos Almeida da Cunha, simply known as Nani has called time on his career as a professional footballer, drawing the curtains on a glittering 19-year stint in the beautiful game, Soccernet.football reports.

Nani enjoyed a hugely successful spell during his eight-year stint at Manchester United, where he clinched four Premier League titles, the Champions League and the Club World Cup.

The 38-year-old was also a key member of Portugalโ€™s squad that triumphed at Euro 2016, captaining the team to victory in the final against France after Cristiano Ronaldo was forced off early due to injury.

Between 2006 and 2017, Nani earned 112 caps for Portugal, making him the Selecaoโ€™s fifth most-capped player, and featured in five major tournaments.

Throughout his club career, he played in seven different countries, enjoying three different stints at Sporting CP and also representing the likes of Fenerbahce, Valencia, Lazio, Orlando City, and Melbourne Victory, before concluding his playing days with a brief stint at Estrela Amadora.

โ€œThe time has come to say goodbye, I have decided to finish my career as a professional player,โ€ Nani wrote on social media on Sunday night.

โ€œItโ€™s been an amazing ride and I wanted to thank every single person who has helped me and supported me through the highs and lows during a career which lasted over 20 years and gave me so many unforgettable memories. Time to turn a new leaf and focus on new goals and dreams. See you soon!โ€

The retiring legend signed off his post with the word โ€œThank youโ€ in five different languages.