Stuart Holden Announces Retirement from Football...

[campo21]

Stuart Holden's long road to recovery has come to an end, after he officially announced his retirement from professional football.

Holden, who joined Bolton from Houston Dynamo in January 2010, made 38 appearances for the club prior to his departure in 2014, during a four-and-a-half year spell which was heavily blighted by a succession of serious knee injuries.

Having become a father for the first time on Monday, to a daughterd Kennady Rose, Holden admits the time has come to 'stop fighting' his body and face up to the reality that his days on the field are a thing of the past.

In an excerpt from a statement posted at ussoccer.com, Holden said: "As I sat down to write my retirement letter, the final chapter of my 11-year career, my wife went into labor with our first child.

"Labor can take a while, but it's the perfect affirmation that I have made the right decision to hang up my boots. I couldn't be more ready - ready for the next chapter of my life, ready to wave goo

[campo21]

Jonny Evans ended his career with us.

[LePensky]

A damn shame but a long time coming. Good luck to him in his life after football (as a player).

A classic case of "what might have been"!