Nigeria football legend Brown Ideye has announced his retirement from professional football.
Ideye started his career 19 years ago with Bayelsa United in 2006, and joined Enyimba on a short term deal last season, in his final bow.
The 36 year-old operated predominantly as a striker and was on the books of up to 11 clubs across England, Spain, Greece, Turkey, China, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia.
He announced his departure from professional football in a social media post on Wednesday.
The statement read:
“After much thought and consideration with mixed emotions, I’ve decided to retire from professional football.
I will first like to thank God for the talent and the long career I’ve enjoyed. I thank my family and friends for their unwavering love, support and understanding till this day. This game made me and gave me everything – incredible joy, sad days, the opportunity to travel and see the world, lifelong friendships and so many unforgettable memories. To all the Agents who worked tirelessly and negotiated with clubs for my dreams to come true – thank you. To all the sports journalists who spent long hours day and night covering and highlighting my career, I owe you a depth of gratitude. To every club I’ve had the honour of wearing their jersey and representing, every coach and teammate who pushed and rooted for me to be better, and every fan who supported me through highs and lows — thank you.
Thank you, Nigeria, for the opportunity you gave me to wear the national colour and be among the Super Eagles. Though my time as a pro player has come to an end, football will always be a part of my life as I enter my next chapter. Thank you all for being a part of this journey and I look forward to still seeing you on these football streets.”
Among the the highlight of Ideye’s career was winning the 2013 African Cop of Nations, playing in the Premier League with West Brom and UEFA Champions League with Dynamo Kyiv and Olympiacos.
Ideye played 431 career games scored 156 goals and provided 50 assists.
Recently the 36 year old has been vocal about the treatment of the players in the league and lack of adequate preparation before games.
The former forward also called out Enyimba publicly criticizing the two times CAF Champions League winners for unpaid match bonuses.
