Former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Emanuel Adebayor has announced his retirement from football, ending his 22-year career in the game.
The 39-year-old striker decided to retire at Togolese club AC Semmasi, which he had joined in July 2021.
Adebayor started his career at AC Merlan Lome before moving to Europe in 1999 at the age of 15 to play for the the youth squad of French side FC Metz.
Adebayor announced his retirement from professional football after 22 years with a video on Instagram.
The short video included a clip of his infamous goal for City against former club Arsenal in 2009, which was undoubtedly the most memorable of his career, as he celebrated by running the length of the pitch in front of the Arsenal fans.
Alongside the video, Adebayor posted the caption: “From the highs to the lows, my career as a professional athlete has been an incredible journey. Thank you to my fans for being there every step of the way. I am feeling so grateful for everything and I am excited for what is to come.”
Adebayor joined Monaco in 2003 and quickly established himself as one of Europe’s top promising forwards before joining Arsenal in the Premier League in 2006.
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He later played for Manchester City, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur, and Crystal Palace before moving on to Istanbul Basaksehir, Kayserispor, Olimpia Asuncion, and AC Semmasi.
Adebayor had a remarkable career, scoring 207 goals in 593 games, including 97 in the Premier League, and winning the Copa del Rey with Real Madrid in 2011.
He is Togo’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 26 goals in 65 appearances, and he was named African Footballer of the Year in 2008.
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