Veteran England and Manchester City goalkeeper Karen Bardsley has announced her decision to retire from professional football at the end of the season.
Bardsley has played at the top level across two decades and served as England's No 1 at several major tournments, reaching two World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2009 final.
Man City confirmed in an official statement that Bardsley would be honoured before their Women's Super League (WSL) home game against Birmingham City on Wednesday.
'I've left no stone unturned'
Speaking about her decision to retire, the 37-year-old said: "It was obviously a pretty tough decision for me to make, but after a lot of deliberation and unfortunately being away from the pitch for quite a while now due to injury, it just felt like it was the right moment.
"As sad and strange as it is to be stepping away from something I've committed my entire young adult life to, ultimately it's something I feel really proud of and I can honestly say, hand on heart, I've left no stone unturned and I have no regrets about how I've applied myself and what I've achieved.
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"I feel incredibly proud of my career, but ultimately I'm really excited about the next steps and what is to come in the future, and I'm just very much looking forward to giving back to the football community in many other ways."
Bardsley's remarkable career
Bardsley earned 82 caps for the Lionesses and was also first choice goalkeeper for Great Britain at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
She made her senior England debut in the Algarve Cup in March 2005, before going on to represent her country at seven major tournaments.
At club level, she joined Man City in 2013 and won a WSL title, three FA Cups and four League Cups. She was key in the treble-winning year of 2016-17.
