OFFICIAL: Ex-AC Milan defender Caldara announces retirement

Caldara hangs up the boots at the age of 31.

The defender spent last season in Serie B with Modena.

He told Sky Italia's Gianluca di Marzio last night: "After my breakthrough season at Atalanta, I reached a point where I felt I was at the absolute peak of my career. Then the injuries started coming one after another, slowly destroying both my body and my self-confidence.

"I have to be honest and say that I never managed to return to the level I had before. The pressure, the expectations and the quest to find the old version of myself wore me down mentally.

"It didn't just affect me – it also affected my closest relationships."