Former Newcastle United midfielder Yohan Cabaye has announced his retirement from professional football.
The Frenchman joined Newcastle in 2011 from Lille, and instantly became a fans' favourite as he played a key role in the Magpies finishing fifth in the Premier League.
Despite leaving under a cloud in January 2014 as he joined PSG, goals against Manchester United and Liverpool during his time on Tyneside live long in the memory of most supporters.
Announcing his retirement at the age of 35, Cabaye wrote: "'It is with great emotion that after more than 17 years of passion, love for football, emotions greater than each other, memories that will forever remain serious in my memory, human encounters and unforgettable sports that I am announcing the end of my career as a professional footballer.
"If this decision may seem obvious, logical and inevitable to some people at 35 years in the world of football, it remains very difficult to take and accept because my love for football is immense.
'"You have to know, then, to take a step back and especially measure the chance to have been able to live your passion, your childhood dream in order to be able to move forward.
"I cannot thank enough all the people that I have been able to rub shoulders with over the past few years; my teammates, my coaches, my leaders and my presidents, the supporters of the clubs I have been through but also those of the France national team who encouraged me when I had the honour of wearing the shirt of my country.
'"Thank you to my family, my friends as well as my agents who supported me and accompanies me throughout this adventure. Thank you to my five children, Myla, Charlize, Romy, Linoi and Maian for giving me so much love and strength to face certain difficult moments in the life of a footballer.
"Thanks to all of you, I went beyond my dreams. Thank you from the heart. Yohan Cabaye."
Cabaye returned to the Premier League to join Crystal Palace in 2015 where he spent three years before heading to the Middle East, before a final return to France and St-Etienne in 2020.
For many N ewcastle United supporters, he is seen as the biggest success of the so-called French revolution.
