Aaron Hughes has reasons to be grateful.
Grateful for a stellar football career spanning over two decades.
Thankful for the 112 caps he earned with Northern Ireland and playing at the 2016 Euro finals in France.
The curtain had to fall eventually, and last night in Borisov Hughes decided it was time to walk into the sporting sunset.
There was a celebratory mood within the confines of Northern Ireland's changing room after beating Belarus 1-0 .
It was a history-making result, the first time any Northern Ireland team had won the opening four games in a qualifying campaign.
Amidst the euphoria and back slaps there was the emotive scene of a legendary figure stepping down.
Speaking to his teammates after Tuesday night's game, Hughes struggled to contain his emotions as he wished them well for the remainder of the campaign.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Irish FA released an official statement to confirm his retirement.
In it Hughes paid tribute to everyone who helped him in his career.
Family, friends, teammates, IFA officials, the fans.
He also thanked every single manager who gave him his chance in the green jersey.
From his debut in 1998 under Lawrie McMenemy, Hughes went through another three bosses before Michael O'Neill took over in 2011.
It was O'Neill who convinced Hughes to prolong his international career, and it proved a shrewd move.
The former Newcastle United and Aston Villa defender went on to play at the 2016 Euros, and earned 112 caps to become the most capped outfield player in Northern Ireland history.
Speaking on Thursday, Hughes said: “I would like to thank the Northern Ireland fans for the support they have given me, especially in the early years when things maybe weren’t so great on the pitch.
"Windsor (Park) is such a special place and it has been so good in recent years to see the ground become a fantastic place to watch football, regardless of who you are or where you are from.
“I could never have been a footballer if it wasn’t for the support of my family. They have made huge sacrifices over the years to enable me to play and I am now looking forward to making up for days away and missed birthdays.
“I would like to thank all the managers who have selected me. Each and every one of them played a role and had a big influence. From Lawrie McMenemy, who gave me my debut, to Sammy (McIlroy) who gave me the armband, right through Lawrie (Sanchez), Nigel (Worthington) and obviously Michael (O’Neill) who has been more than fantastic with me.
"It would be remiss of me not to mention him in a different sort of way. At the stage of my career when I wasn’t playing as much football he still saw a value in me. He still saw that I could be a good influence with younger players, and he kept me around and gave me a purpose. He gave me the opportunity to come back, to be in the squad and ultimately to go to a Euros. For that I will be forever grateful.
“The same goes for all the Northern Ireland staff – the kit men, the medical staff, David Currie and all the people behind the scenes. They helped make the experience of playing so enjoyable and they are all people that I will really miss.
“Finally, I would like to thank my teammates. The memories that we have had, the highs that we have had, going to a Euros, those are experiences that you can’t have on your own.
"You can only reach those heights if you have great teammates around you and I have been very lucky to be involved in a group over the past seven or eight years that have worked really hard to be successful.
"They took me to a Euros, they took me to 100 caps and I am very proud to retire having been part of a very special group of Northern Ireland players.”
Keep up-to-date with all the very latest news, what's on, sport and everything else in Belfast and beyond with the Belfast Live app.
Only select news that interests you by picking the topics you want to display on the app's homepage. Plus, our enhanced user experience includes live blogs, video, interactive maps and slick picture galleries. Download it now and get involved.
Click here to get it from the App Store or here for Google Play .
