Dimitri Payet announces retirement from professional football | OneFootball

Dimitri Payet has announced his retirement from professional football. According to L'Équipe, the 38-year-old confirmed the decision on Ligue 1+ at half-time of Marseille against Lille, two of his former clubs.

Clubless since early July after a spell in Brazil with Vasco da Gama, the Réunion-born midfielder bows out without a major trophy but after 492 Ligue 1 appearances for Nantes, Saint-Étienne, Lille and Marseille, scoring 103 times. He also played 48 Premier League matches for West Ham, scoring 11, and 23 in the Champions League with two goals.

Payet won 38 caps for France, scoring eight. He helped France reach the Euro 2016 final, lost 1-0 to Portugal after extra time.

Speaking in tears, he thanked everyone who shared his 20-year journey, including staff who work behind the scenes such as administrators, security, groundskeepers and cooks, for creating the conditions for players to perform.

He added that announcing it at the Vélodrome was symbolic because he feels at home there. Approaching his 39th birthday on 29 March, he said it marked the end of one chapter and the start of another.

Source: L'Équipe