Spain legend Casillas announces retirement

Former Real Madrid and Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 39.

Casillas was born in Madrid and came through the Real system, making his debut for the club at the age of 18.

Over the next 16 years, he went on to make 725 appearances for the club, helping them win five La Liga title as well as the Champions League on three occasions.

With the national team he was the captain of the legendary team that won the 2010 World Cup and back-to-back European Championships in 2008 and 2012.

After leaving Real in 2015 Casillas crossed the border to join Portuguese giants Porto. He suffered a heart attack during training in April 2019 and has not played since but has been doing some coaching.

Casillas wrote on Twitter in his retirement announcement “The important thing is the path you travel and the people who accompany you, not the destination to which it takes you.

“I think I can say, without hesitation, that it has been the path and the dream destination.”

Casillas retires second on both Real and Spain’s all-time appearance lists, behind Raul (741) for Real and Sergio Ramos (170) for the national team.

He has made more Champions League appearances (177) than anyone else in the competition’s history and holds the record for the most clean sheets with 57. – Eurosport