Steph Houghton 発表するs she will RETIRE at the end of the season after 伝説の career, winning three Women's 最高の League 肩書を与えるs with Man City and 兵器庫 and captaining England

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Former England captain and Manchester City defender Steph Houghton has 発表するd her 退職 from football at the end of the season.

Houghton, 35, won 121 caps for the Lionesses between 2007 and 2021 and captained the 味方する at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups 同様に as the 2017 Euros. She also captained Team GB at the 2012 and 2020 オリンピック.

The defender, who is City's かつてない 記録，記録的な／記録する 外見 支えるもの／所有者, has won the WSL three times, the FA Cup five times and the League Cup seven times across （一定の）期間s with City and 兵器庫.

'There is no 平易な way to say it, but I am retiring from football at the end of the 現在の WSL season,' Houghton said in a 声明 地位，任命するd on social マスコミ.

'Taking the 決定／判定勝ち（する） to retire is such a difficult thing to do. Whilst age comes to every player, it makes it no easier having to say the words out loud. Football has been my life, my passion, and I have loved the career I have had.

Steph Houghton has 発表するd she will retire from professional football at the end of the season

She is City's most decorated player ever, having 解除するd eight トロフィーs with them, 含むing a 最高の League 肩書を与える

'I would like to thank every チーム仲間 I have ever played with; I have continued to learn every day and 高く評価する／（相場などが）上がる the support each has given me and the friendships I have made along the way. To my 経営者／支配人s, coaches and all the staff that I have worked with and under, I 高く評価する／（相場などが）上がる the time, 成果／努力 and work you have 献身的な to 改善するing my game and the 基準s of women's football.

'It has been an honour and a 特権 to 代表する Sunderland, 物陰／風下d Utd, 兵器庫 and to have been on the incredible 旅行 that I have been on, with Manchester City over the past ten years.

'I will always be humbled to have made so many 国内の 外見s, to have captained my country and to have 代表するd England and Team GB in so many international tournaments. I will always be very proud of everything that I have 達成するd in the game.

'To all the fans, I have never taken your support for 認めるd. The special feeling of 審理，公聴会 '最高の Steph' will forever live with me.

'Whilst I have been lucky to have had special moments on the pitch, it gives me a lot of satisfaction what the game has 達成するd off the pitch during my career.

'The game has moved so quickly from amateur to professional over the last twenty years. I thank the trailblazers that （機の）カム before me, for your perseverance and かかわり合い to 影響ing change for my 世代.

'I hope that I leave the game in a better place than when I started, and that I have 与える／捧げるd in some small way to giving the girls of tomorrow a better 未来 in football.

'My biggest thanks, 評価 and love belongs to my husband and inspiration, Stephen, my mam, my dad, my brother Stuart, the 残り／休憩（する） of my family, Matthew Buck, and all my closest friends for your love, 指導／手引, understanding and support ? it has been my constant .

Houghton has decided to call time on her career and said she was 'humbled' to have captained England

She won seven トロフィーs with 兵器庫 - 含むing two league 肩書を与えるs - before leaving in 2014?

Houghton captained England at three major tournaments and amassed 121 Lionesses caps

Last week, Houghton 押し進めるd her husband Stephen Darby on a 178-mile trek to fight モーター Neurone 病気, which ended his career

Houghton and her husband Stephen Darby pictured at the 2019 PFA Awards in London

'I am excited for whatever comes next but, in the 合間, I remain 焦点（を合わせる）d on giving everything I have left for Manchester City over the next two months.'

Houghton was not part of the Euros-winning squad after 行方不明の out on 選択.

The defender had made the 一時的に squad after 回復するing from an achilles 傷害 but was 削減（する） by boss Sarina Wiegman before the tournament started.

She also 行方不明になるd out on 選択 for last summer's World Cup. Speaking to Mail Sport in an 排除的 interview last year, Houghton said she did not 推定する／予想する to play for England again.

'I was disappointed because of how much 成果／努力 I'd put into doing the things I was asked to do which was to get 支援する into the City team, to play 井戸／弁護士席 and to play 井戸／弁護士席 against the best players,' Houghton said of 行方不明の out on the Euros.

'I spoke to the 経営者／支配人. She said firstly I need to get 支援する into the team because I'd had a long period of time out.

'I fought my way 支援する. The next thing was to play 井戸／弁護士席 and to keep your shirt. From January on I've started every 選び出す／独身 game 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業 one. I feel as though I was in form, fit and ready to go. But いつかs it happens that you have a 経営者／支配人 that doesn't see you as part of their 計画（する）s.'

Houghton 得点する／非難する／２０d 13 goals for England and 得点する／非難する／２０d three times during the 2012 Olympics, 含むing a match-winning goal against Brazil at Wembley. That game attracted a （人が）群がる of 70,584 and was a defining moment of the rising 人気 of women's football.

Houghton 押し進めるd ex-footballer Darby in his 車椅子 as they arrive at Anfield to 完全にする the mammoth walk as they raised 認識／意識性 over MND - 同様に as £130,000

Houghton (権利) and Lioness 星／主役にする Chloe Kelly (left ) 提起する／ポーズをとるd for a selfie while wearing March of the Day branded hoodies

'Steph deserves all the 賞賛する she will rightly receive for her remarkable career,' said England boss Sarina Wiegman.?

'I know she has been 奮起させるing so many young girls to follow in her footsteps. I wish her the very best with whatever comes next and look 今後 to 存在 able to celebrate her 業績／成就s at one of our games later this year.'

Houghton is married to former professional footballer Stephen Darby, who was 診断するd with モーター neurone 病気 in 2018.

A year later, Darby 始める，決める up the Darby Rimmer MND 創立／基礎 to 基金 support for families 影響する／感情d by モーター neurone 病気, and 研究 a cure.

Speaking to Mail Sport in 2021, Houghton said: 'He's so 肯定的な, so プロの／賛成の-active.

'It's not about going away and doing things, it's about doing our normal lives. Seeing our families, seeing our 甥s, enjoying it while we can and not letting it 影響する／感情 us as much as we can.'

Last week, she raised £130,000 on a 178-mile charity walk raising 認識／意識性 for モーター Neurone 病気,?押し進めるing Darby - a former Liverpool 星／主役にする - in a 車椅子.

The 病気 ended Darby's career and the trek was led by him and?former Bristol City 今後 Marcus Stewart - who both を煩う the illness - helped raise £130,000 for the 原因（となる）.

Liverpool 広大な／多数の／重要な Jamie Redknapp (left) and Lioness icon Jill Scott (second left) 提起する／ポーズをとるd for a picture after 完全にするing the walk

The three-day 'March of the Day' walk started on Friday at Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium, where Darby spent five years of his career, before ending at Anfield on Sunday.?

Houghton was joined by a number of her former Lionesses team-mates on the walk, with Jill Scott and 現在の England 星／主役にする Chloe Kelly showing their support on the day.

Former England men's 星／主役にするs Jamie Redknapp and Paul Scholes also joined the walk as they 勇敢に立ち向かうd the 勝利，勝つd and rain for the 原因（となる）.