Ex-QPR and Sunderland star confirms retirement | OneFootball

Jack Colback has called it a day on his career less than a year after departing QPR

Jack Colback spent two seasons at QPR before departing the club last summer following the expiration of his contract.

Martí Cifuentes oversaw a 15th place finish for the London outfit, but the midfielder departed despite 24 appearances in the league for the Hoops.

Julien Stéphan's arrival in place of the Spaniard led to Colback's exit, with the team chasing an improvement on their 15th place finish under the Frenchman.

Colback made a total of 53 appearances for the London outfit prior to his departure, before signing for eight-tier Anstey Nomads last February.

QPR have struggled in recent seasons, coming 18th and 20th in the prior campaigns, and have only thrice finished in the top half of the table since their relegation from the Premier League in 2015.

However, a poor run of form in the last couple of weeks has seen the team fall to 16th, with three defeats in a row leaving the club 10 points adrift of sixth place Wrexham.

Ex-QPR and Sunderland star announces retirement

It has been reported by Chronicle Live that midfielder Jack Colback has announced his retirement from football.

The 36-year-old plied his trade with QPR for two seasons, joining the club in 2023 before departing at the end of last season.

He made 53 appearances in the Championship for the London outfit, contributing four goals and two assists to help the team come 18th and 15th.

Colback’s contract with the Hoops expired in 2025, and he remained a free agent until agreeing a move to Anstey Nomads in February.

However, he has called it a day on his playing career just weeks into his time with the eighth-tier club.

Colback has released a statement confirming his decision to hang up his boots after a 17-year career at senior level.

The midfielder reflected on a career with almost 500 matches to his name, thanking the coaches, teammates and fans who supported him through his journey at the top level of the game.

"I feel privileged to have the honour of playing nearly 500 matches at the top level, representing some of the biggest clubs in the country in Newcastle, Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Queen’s Park Rangers,” he wrote, via Chronicle Live.

"From pulling on the shirt for the first time as a young lad to stepping out in front of packed stadiums in the Premier League, it’s been a journey I’ll always be grateful for.

"There have been highs, lows, promotions, tough defeats, and moments I’ll never forget.

"I would like to thank all of my coaches, teammates and supporters who helped me to achieve my dream.

“Looking forward to what the next chapter holds."

Jack Colback’s had an impressive football career

Colback came through the ranks of the Sunderland academy system, but it was a loan spell with Ipswich Town in 2009/10 that first introduced him to senior football.

The 36-year-old played 48 times in the Championship for the Suffolk outfit before returning to the Stadium of Light.

Colback played on 114 occasions in the Premier League for the Black Cats before departing in 2014.

He signed for Sunderland’s rivals Newcastle United, before later joining Nottingham Forest in 2018, helping both clubs gain promotion to the Premier League, with the former going up in 2016/17 and the latter achieving play-off success in 2021/22.

These were the high points of an impressive career in which he played a total of 189 times in the top flight.

QPR fans will remember key moments from his time at Loftus Road fondly, including his goal and assist in a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough in his third game for the club.

His final goal for the team also proved important, as his 76th minute strike sealed all three points against Blackburn Rovers last season on 4 February after Tyrhys Dolan had levelled the scores earlier in the second half.