Spanish star striker Villa retires from football

TOKYO: Star striker David Villa, Spain’s top goal scorer, announced on Wednesday he was quitting professional football at the end of the season.

The 37-year-old is currently playing for Vissel Kobe in Japan after a glittering career at international and club level that has included stints at Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Valencia. “I’m holding (this press conference) to announce that I have decided to end my professional career and that I have decided to retire,” Villa told reporters in Kobe, his voice occasionally breaking with emotion. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. This is the result of discussions I had with my family and people around me... I wanted to retire from football, not be forced to retire from football,” added the striker. Villa played in three World Cups and was a member of the Spanish side that lifted the trophy in 2010, and won the European Championships in 2008.