Former Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi has chosen to call time on his playing days at the age of 34. Berardi enjoyed a career that spanned 17 seasons as a player, taking in stints in Italy and England before rounding off his career in his native Switzerland.
Seven of those seasons were spent with Leeds United, where he made 157 appearances in all competitions before eventually being released by the club at the end of the 2020-21 Premier League season. He was a crowd favourite at Elland Road, winning admiration for his attitude and desire on the field and supporters can still be heard singing his name, two years on from his departure.
Berardi joined Leeds in 2014 under then head coach David Hockaday and made headlines after being sent off on his debut. He recovered from that initial setback well, though, and played a key role for the club for several years, under a host of managers.
Read more: 'From today we move on' - Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani's statement after Sampdoria purchase
He played his part in the club’s promotion to the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa and despite picking up a serious knee injury in July 2020, he made two appearances for the club in the top flight. Berardi played for Brescia and Sampdoria prior to his switch to Elland Road, before representing Sion and finishing his career with Bellinzona, a club close to his town of birth Sorengo, amassing 356 career outings.
“A word can contain many emotions, many feelings, many memories and most of all many people. I choose one to close the chapter,” he wrote on Instagram to confirm his retirement. “THANK YOU!”
Berardi collected just one cap for Switzerland, representing the nation against Liechtenstein in August 2011.
READ NEXT
Leeds United set for nine-figure revenue blow as true cost of Premier League relegation revealed
Leeds United board talks expected as Sam Allardyce pinpoints first major decision to make
The 11 damaging moments that led to Leeds United's Premier League relegation
Leeds United release defiant club statement as Premier League relegation confirmed at Elland Road
Andrea Radrizzani told of £300m Leeds United takeover blow after relegation
