Ex-Man Utd player O’Shea to retire at end of season

LONDON: Former Manchester United defender John O’Shea will retire at the end of the season, Championship club Reading announced on Tuesday.

The Republic of Ireland international won five Premier League titles at Old Trafford, as well as the FA Cup and the Champions League. On Tuesday, his 38th birthday, O’Shea announced his retirement, having spent the final season of his playing career at Reading after a seven-year stint at Sunderland.

As well as making nearly 400 appearances for United, O’Shea also played more than 100 times for Ireland. “A fabulous playing career is coming to a close — today, on his 38th birthday, John O’Shea has announced he is to retire at the end of the season,” tweeted Reading.

“Just a very small part of his playing days have been spent with the Royals, but he has amassed a medal collection that any player would be extremely proud of, winning almost everything possible during almost 20 years as a professional footballer.” United tweeted out some of his highlights from his time with the club, including a last-minute winner at Liverpool. O’Shea left Old Trafford after winning his fifth and final Premier League title in 2011, opting to move to Sunderland.