Yearender 2021 - Five high-profile players who retired in 2021

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Bengaluru, Dec. 22: Every year we see football icons step away from the beautiful game and this calendar year was no different.

From World Cup winners to Champions League winners - 2021 saw some of the biggest names quietly exiting from the footballing stage.

As we enter the last two weeks of the year, it is worth taking a moment to look back and reflect upon five footballing stars who left the field this year.

1. Sergio Aguero

The Argentine international was sadly forced to retire from the game due to cardiac arrhythmia at the age of 33 only this month. The former Manchester City star signed a two-year deal with Barcelona this year but made just five appearances before being taken to hospital with chest pains after a match at home to Alaves in October.

Following some medical checkups, he was advised to stop playing and it put an end to his football career this month. Aguero has left the game as one of the finest strikers of this generation. He scored 260 goals for the Cityzens, the most famous being his injury-time strike against Queens Park Rangers in May 2012 which won the side the Premier League title.

Overall he won five Premier League titles with City, as well as one FA Cup and six League Cups. He also won the Europa League during his time with Atletico Madrid earlier.

2. Wayne Rooney

The Manchester United and England legend ended his career earlier following his full-time managerial appointment as Derby County manager in January. Rooney succeeded Phillip Cocu on an interim basis in last year November but after impressing was handed a full-time role. His entry into management brought curtains down a great career that saw him become the all-time leading goalscorer for Manchester United and England, winning 16 trophies including 5 PL and one Champions League.

3. Arjen Robben

Robben retired from football following his stint with Bayern however decided to come out of it last June to play for boyhood club FC Groningen in the Dutch Eredivisie last season. However, his campaign was hampered with injuries and he only made seven appearances in all competitions and scored two goals. Thereafter, the Premier League winner hung up his boots in July curtaining down a great career. Robben has represented several clubs throughout the course of his career, most notably Chelsea, Real Madrid but he flourished most with Bayern Munich where he won eight Bundesliga titles, five German Cups and one Champions League.

4. Sami Khedira

The former Germany international may never have been the most trendy player, however, he was always a vital cog in every side he represented over the years. Not only did he help inspire German underdogs Stuttgart to the Bundesliga title, but also retired having won five Serie A titles, La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup while representing the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus.

5. Mario Mandzukic

One of the greatest Croatian footballers of all time, Mandzukic announced the end of his playing career this summer after 17 years on the pitch. The 35-year-old represented several top clubs in his illustrious career including AC Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid. While in Italy he won four league titles and three Coppa Italia with Juventus, and in Germany, he won a Champions League and two Bundesliga titles with Bayern Munich.