(The Guardian) Swansea and Wales midfielder Joe Allen announces retirement
Joe Allen has announced he is retiring when the curtain comes down on Swansea City’s season this weekend. The 35-year-old, who has made almost 600 career appearances and won 77 caps for Wales, said it was not a decision he has taken lightly but believes the timing is right.
He has also represented Liverpool, Wrexham and Stoke. He came out of international retirement last year but has struggled for fitness. Allen, who was named in the Euro 2016 team of the tournament when Wales reached the semi-finals, said: “The truth is, when you’re getting to 35, you’re only getting worse ... there’s a line I didn’t want to cross in terms of the level of performance I can give. I’m just at that stage where I can’t push things any further.”
Not one to live the highlife, Allen hit the headlines in 2016 for appearing on the cover of Chicken & Egg magazine; he revealed in issue 12 that he looks after two cockerels and 12 hens at home, and has names for them all, including one called Silkie Steve. “[My wife] Lacey was behind the decision,” he said. “We both have an interest in animal welfare but she came up with the idea to save hens and I agreed it was something that would be great to do. We didn’t have any hens growing up but wanted to help chickens after they finished their commercial lives.”
Joe Allen has announced he is retiring when the curtain comes down on Swansea City’s season this weekend. The 35-year-old, who has made almost 600 career appearances and won 77 caps for Wales, said it was not a decision he has taken lightly but believes the timing is right.
He has also represented Liverpool, Wrexham and Stoke. He came out of international retirement last year but has struggled for fitness. Allen, who was named in the Euro 2016 team of the tournament when Wales reached the semi-finals, said: “The truth is, when you’re getting to 35, you’re only getting worse ... there’s a line I didn’t want to cross in terms of the level of performance I can give. I’m just at that stage where I can’t push things any further.”
Not one to live the highlife, Allen hit the headlines in 2016 for appearing on the cover of Chicken & Egg magazine; he revealed in issue 12 that he looks after two cockerels and 12 hens at home, and has names for them all, including one called Silkie Steve. “[My wife] Lacey was behind the decision,” he said. “We both have an interest in animal welfare but she came up with the idea to save hens and I agreed it was something that would be great to do. We didn’t have any hens growing up but wanted to help chickens after they finished their commercial lives.”
