David Villa, Spain's all-time leading goal scorer, has announced his plans to retire from football when the J-League ends in January 2020.
David Villa will retire after 19 years of playing football, winning 14 major trophies and scoring over 400 goals, including Spain's all-time record of 59 goals. Villa said he will call an end to his football career when the Japanese league season comes to an end in January next year.
Currently, the 37-year-old striker plays Vissel Kobe in the J-League, his eighth professional club, and hopes to end his career by winning an Emperor's Cup. At his press conference, Villa said: "As I've always said to myself, I prefer to leave football before football leaves me. It's a decision I've thought about a lot, that I've spoken about with the people that love me, with my family, with the people that have been by my side throughout my career."
In his prime, Villa was considered one of the most feared strikers in the world, with his ability to use both feet. He was forced to train his weaker left foot after he broke his right leg at the age of four, making him unpredictable to defenders, particularly in front of the goal.
When Spain won the World Cup for the first time in 2010, Villa scored five goals and he also scored four goals on the team's journey to its second European Championship title in 2008.
Following his retirement, Villa will become a lead investor in new US football franchise Queensboro FC, which will be based in Queens, New York, and will play in the USL Championship, the second tier of football in the country starting 2021.
He said: "I lived and played in New York for four years. I know what a special place Queens is. I love the cultures, the food, the people and their passion for life and, of course, soccer. There is no other place like it in the world. It's a dream to help build this football club in Queens and I couldn't choose a better location."
