Former Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva today announced his retirement from football.
The 36-year-old had a contract with Brazilian side Grêmio, but had been away from training since December, when there was the diagnosis of cardiac alteration.
As reported by Globo Esporte, Leiva has myocardial cicatricial fibrosis. Following the tests from last year, he recently repeated the exams, and with no change in the results, he was told by club doctors to stop playing.
Leiva on Friday held a press conference with the local media. There, he cried, and mentioned the places he’d been in his career, including Liverpool.
“When I look back, I wouldn’t change a thing. I could say that I would have liked to have won more and played more, but they were three clubs with a huge identity, ending where I would like to, as I always said,” said Lucas Leiva (via Globo Esporte).
Lucas Leiva joined Liverpool in a €10m move from Grêmio back in 2008, and spent nine years at the Premier League side. There he made 346 appearances, with seven goals and 21 assists, having won a League Cup in 2012.
In 2017 he moved to Lazio, where he spent five years, and finally made his return to Grêmio in July last year. He was still able to feature for his childhood club for a few months until this condition put an end to his career.
