Emmanuel Adebayor announces retirement from football at 39

Emmanuel Adebayor has officially retired from football, posting a bizarre announcement video to his social media accounts. The striker featured for several top clubs including Real Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco and Crystal Palace. 

He is most fondly remembered for his goal against Arsenal, while playing for Manchester City. He proceeded to celebrate by running the length of the pitch and celebrating in front of the Arsenal fans. 

Emmanuel Adebayor retires from football at 39 

‘SEA, from the highs to the lows, my career as a professional athlete has been an incredible journey,’ the caption on his retirement post read. 

‘Thank you to my fans for being there every step of the way. I’m feeling so grateful for everything, and excited for what’s to come!’

In 2008, Emmanuel Adebayor was named the African Footballer of the Year while he was playing for Arsenal. He was also named Togo’s footballer of the year for five straight years between 2005 and 2009. 

Adebayor joined Spurs after returning from Real Madrid, followed by a short spell at Crystal Palace. He left England for Istanbul Basaksehir in 2017, and has since played for Kayserispor, Olimpia in Paraguay and Samassi in Togo before retiring.