Kyle Bartley has announced his retirement from football following a recent injury setback.
After more than 15 years on the pitch, Bartley has made the decision to hang up his boots at the age of 34. The announcement comes as a result of a significant knee injury, which he has been unable to fully recover from.
His most recent club, West Bromwich Albion, have released a statement confirming his decision, along with Bartley’s messages to fans and his past teams.
Ex-Rangers ace Kyle Bartley retires from football
After a total of 407 appearances across his 16-year career, West Brom released a statement to confirm Bartley’s retirement from football. He joined the club in 2018 after moving from Swansea City.
Bartley only played for three teams on a permanent basis throughout his career. He was sent on six loan spells in between his moves, including two stints with Rangers and Sheffield United respectively, and a season with Leeds United.
“I am fortunate to have represented some outstanding clubs during my career and Albion holds a particularly special place in my heart,” Bartley said as part of his retirement statement on the West Brom club website.
“Unfortunately, a knee injury I picked up during last season has led me to make the difficult decision to hang up my boots, despite my best efforts to rehabilitate from it.
“I consider myself incredibly lucky to have played the game I love, and it is the highs and lows of football that have helped make me the man I am today.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to all at the club for their support during my seven years here. The club is fortunate to have some outstanding people working at all levels and I’m lucky to have established some special friendships along the way.
“I’ll continue to support Ryan Mason and the lads and don’t plan on being a stranger at The Hawthorns – a special place that I will always be fond of.
“I’d also like to thank the fans for their amazing support throughout the years. My family, too, are now all fans, especially my two little girls and I’m hoping we will all be back very soon to say thank you for everything. This club will always be part of my life.”
Kyle Bartley injury woes
Bartley underwent an operation on his knee last year, which ruled him out of action for six weeks. However, he could no longer play regularly without pain or discomfort but still managed to feature 31 times across all competitions last season.
As vice-captain, he stepped up to wear the armband on 27 occasions last term.
According to Transfermarkt data, Bartley struggled with recurring knee injuries across his time with multiple clubs, including Rangers. Back in March 2011, his loan spell in Glasgow was cut short due to a medial ligament injury, which had quoted him three months on the sidelines.
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