Alex Bruce: Former Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland defender announces retirement
Last updated on .From the section Irish
Former Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland defender Alex Bruce has announced his retirement.
The 36-year-old, son of Newcastle manager Steve, won two caps for the Republic before switching allegiances to NI and playing twice for them.
Bruce, whose club career included spells at Hull City and Ipswich Town, revealed the news via social media on Monday.
"Unfortunately the day that every footballer dreads has come," he said.
"The boots are being hung up and I am retiring from playing as of today. On the whole it has been an unbelievable 20 years since I left school at the age of 16 and I have had the privilege of playing for some great clubs.
"My time at Ipswich and Hull in particular hold very fond memories for me I am going to miss playing as it is without doubt the greatest job in the world.
"I'd like to thank my family, team-mates and coaches for all their support over the years and I now look forward to starting a new chapter."
Bruce was part of the Hull team that reached the FA Cup final under his father in 2014 and won promotion to the Premier League with the Tigers.
He also played for Blackburn, Oldham, Birmingham, Sheffield Wednesday, Tranmere, Ipswich, Leicester, Leeds, Huddersfield, Wigan, Bury and Kilmarnock.
