Former Hearts captain Perry Kitchen has retired aged just 30 after more than a year on the sidelines with injury.
Kitchen joined the Jambos during Robbie Neilson 's first spell in March 2016 and made an immediate impact - so much so that he was appointed skipper for the 2016/17 season. He was a regular at Tynecastle despite troubles with injury, but fell out of favour during Ian Cathro's disastrous spell and left for a brief stint with Randers in Denmark, before returning to the MLS with LA Galaxy.
At the peak of his powers he was a US international, but his move to Columbus Crew last year was quickly derailed by more time in the treatment room. He hadn't featured for the club since July 2021, revealing that a back problem led to nerve damage in his leg that required extensive rehab. Now aged just 30, he has announced that he cannot continue playing as he shared the news in an emotional social media post.
"In August of 2021, I suffered a back injury that resulted in nerve damage down my right leg. Over the last 14 months, I have tirelessly rehabbed, but my body has not recovered to the level it needs to perform.
"It is with that I announce my retirement from professional soccer. A huge thank you to the clubs, my teammates, coaches, support staff, and fans for everything over the past 12 seasons. I always gave you my everything. It was an honour to represent you on the pitch and I will miss fighting for you on game days.
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"I'd also like to thank my family and friends for your constant support and encouragement. A special thank you to my parents, for driving hours and giving up weekends for me to play and progress in those early years.
"And to my wife, thank you for standing by my side throughout my career. From multiple moves to the countless pre-game meals you made for me and being my No.1 fan in the stands, I could not have done it without you and I am forever grateful for your love and loyalty.
"Although I don't know what the future holds, I look forward to the new challenges ahead and I am extremely lucky to have lived out my dream."
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