Iker Casillas has finally decided to hang up his gloves at the age of 39, after a scintillating 22-year long playing career.
Iker Casillas joined the famed Real Madrid youth academy, La Fabrica, at the age of six in 1990.
He made quick progressions to rise up through the ranks. He became the then youngest player to play in and win a Champions League final in 2000, just four days after his 19th birthday.
In his career with the first team that lasted for 16 years, he made over 500 appearances and won a plethora of honors – including 5x La Liga, 3x Champions League, 2x La Liga Best Goalkeeper.
The Spaniard has had an equally appealing career with his national team, winning the European Championship twice and World Cup once.
In 2015, he moved away from his homeland to Portugal and signed with FC Porto. More individual as well as collective success followed his way during the 156 appearances he made.
Casillas suffered a heart attack during a training session last year. He has not made a competitive appearance since then, though he has managed to recover.
The 39-year old has now decided to put a full stop to his playing career as he seeks to explore options away from the field.
In an emotional message in a Twitter post, he wrote: “The important thing is the path you travel and the people who accompany you, not the destination to which it takes you.
“Because that with work and effort, I think I can say, without hesitation, that is has been the path and the dream destination.”