Roma and Italy legendary player Daniele De Rossi has announced his retirement from football.
De Rossi made the high-profile move to Buenos Aires in July and marked his competitive debut with a goal against Almagro in the Copa Argentina the following month.
However, he has been restricted to just five further appearances for the club since, his cause not helped by injuries including a hamstring strain picked up against Boca’s great rivals River Plate in September.
Prior to his move to Argentina, De Rossi had spent his entire playing career at boyhood club Roma, where he made 616 appearances for the Serie A outfit over 18 years.
He helped the club to Coppa Italia success in 2007 and 2008, as well as being named Serie A Footballer of the Year in 2009.
The midfielder bade an emotional farewell to Roma at the end of the 2018-19 season following the expiry of his contract, penning an open letter thanking everyone at the club and 'every Roma fan' for their support over the years.
As well as his loyal service at Roma, De Rossi also won 117 caps for Italy and was the youngest member of the Azzurri squad that won the World Cup in Germany in 2006.