Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo
Nani alongside former Manchester United teammate Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo and other former Manchester United stars have sent Nani a message after announcing his retirement from football at the age of 38.
Nani, who won the European Championships with his country, joined United in 2007 for a fee of £21m from Sporting Clube de Portugal. His arrival coincided with the arrival of his teammate Ronaldo at Old Trafford.
He spent eight years at the club before moving on to Fenerbahce in 2015. Nani made 230 appearances for the club, won four Premier League titles, the Champions League, the Club World Cup, two Carabao Cups and four Community Shields.
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Taking to Instagram to share the news, Nani posted a video communicating his decision along with the caption: "The time has come to say goodbye, I have decided to finish my career as a professional player. It’s been an amazing ride and I wanted to thank every single person who has helped me and supported me through the highs and lows during a career which lasted over 20 years and gave me so many unforgettable memories. Time to turn a new leaf and focus on new goals and dreams. See you soon!"
A number of former United players replied to Nani, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the comments. He wrote: "Ronaldo: Congratulations 'Nanaca'."
Jesse Lingard added: "Good luck bro congratulations on your career was a pleasure to grace the pitch with you," while David De Gea said: "What a player. It was a pleasure to have played alongside you."
Patrice Evra concluded: "Top brother. Thanks for everything."
Nani was most recently playing for Estrela da Amadora in the Primeira Liga making ten appearances in all competitions this season, scoring once.