Argentine international, Javier Mascherano has announced his retirement from football today.

Mascherano who played for Liverpool and Barcelona took to social media to make the announcement.

He said: “I want to announce that today I am retiring from soccer professionally.

“I want to thank this club [Estudiantes] that gave me the opportunity to finish my career in Argentina.”

“I want to tell you that I’ve taken the decision to finish my career as a professional footballer.

“After 15 years of playing, I’m choosing this path with total calm and satisfaction. As everyone knows, I’ve lived some fantastic moments and I’ve enjoyed a career that I couldn’t have imagined in my wildest dreams as a child.

“I also had difficult moments, repeated injuries which affected me in these last few years, but at the same time they taught me and they made me the person I am today.”