Leicester City Premier League title-winning hero reveals retirement plans
The striker, who turns 38 in April, will hang up his boots at the conclusion of the season after listening to his body. His current campaign in Belgium is limited by injury.
Shinji Okazaki, the title-winning hero, has declared his retirement from football. The Japanese striker, who was key to Leicester City’s 2016 victory, will retire at the conclusion of the season, aged 38.
Okazaki, who is currently playing for Sint-Truiden in Belgium, has stated that he is ‘listening to his body’ and’reaching his physical limits’, and with injuries preventing him from participating for the majority of the current season, he is calling it quits. The striker’s 19-year career is coming to an end.
Okazaki’s workrate and movement were critical to City’s Premier League victory, with the Japanese international serving as a fine foil for Jamie Vardy at the top and an excellent link for Riyad Mahrez and Marc Albrighton on the wings. He also scored some fantastic goals, including an overhead kick in a win over Newcastle.
Okazaki left City in 2019 after 137 games and 19 goals in four seasons. He initially transferred to Malaga, but financial concerns caused them to cancel his contract before he even played a game. He later joined Huesca and helped them get promoted to La Liga.
After two years with Huesca, he spent a season in Cartagena before heading to Belgium. He is presently in his second season with Sint-Truiden, although despite playing 32 games in his first season, injuries have limited him to only seven substitute appearances this season.
“I have decided to end my career at the end of this season,” Okazaki stated. “I gave it my all as a football player, but as a sportsman, you must also listen to your body. Today, I am nearing my physical limits. In the coming weeks, I’ll do everything I can to get healthy so that I can contribute to the squad and say goodbye on the pitch.
I want to be transparent about this decision with everyone who has always supported me. That is why I’m announcing the decision now. I would, of course, be pleased to provide further clarification after the end of the season. Until then, I’ll be completely focused on football.”
Okazaki began his career at Shimizu S-Pulse in Japan, before moving to Germany for Stuttgart. He subsequently moved to Mainz, where he drew City’s attention, scoring 29 goals in 70 appearances over two seasons, earning him a £7.5 million move to the King Power Stadium.
Okazaki made 119 international appearances for Japan, ranking fifth on the country’s all-time record. He also scored 50 goals, ranking third on his country’s scoring statistics. He won the Asian Cup with Japan in 2011, and he played in three World Cups: 2010, 2014, and 2018, scoring in the first two.
