Former A-League marquee retires

Former Manchester United star Nani, whose brief A-League stint with Melbourne Victory ended in serious injury, has retired from football.

The Portuguese international winger signed a two-year contract the Victory with much fanfare in July 2022.

However, in just his 10th A-League appearance, Nani suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in a match against Brisbane Roar on January 6, 2023.

The 2016 European Championship winner parted with the Victory four months later despite having more than a year of his contract remaining.

Nani joined Turkish outfit Adana Demirspor in July 2023, making 34 appearances for the club in all competitions before finishing his career with a brief stint with Portuguese team Estrela.

“As everyone knows, everything comes to an end,” the 38-year-old attacking weapon said.

“I’ve taken the time to make a very important decision, perhaps the most important decision of my professional life, which is the decision to stop playing as a professional player.

“I do so with a sense of duty fulfilled. I believe it was a beautiful career, a career filled with many achievements.

“The opportunities that have come my way now indicate that I’m ready to move forward in these new paths.”

The four-time English Premier League winner will remain involved with the sport through the NANI Football Academy in Fernao Ferro and his investment in Sintrense SAD.

“Football has given me so much and I believe that my duty is to give back everything football has given me. I now have a great opportunity to do so,” Nani said.