Daniel Agger insists taking too many painkillers forced him into retirement at 31
'I'm done with this circus,' says ex-Liverpool central defender after blackout finally made him confront 10-year problem
DANIEL AGGER claims that taking many painkillers forced him into early retirement.
The Danish centre half, who played for Liverpool for eight years between 2006 and 2014. insists this is why he hung his boots up at the age of only 31.
Agger announced he was giving the game up for health reasons only days ago.
"I have taken too many painkillers in my career. I know it, and that is bad. But I've stopped doing it now."
Agger realised just how big his problem was soon after joining Brondy from Liverpool for £3million two years ago.
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He was on the Brondby team bus on their way to face FC Copenhagen. Having taken arthritis pills with a caffeine drink, he didn’t remember any of the first half.
He later blacked out after being substituted with less than a half an hour played and had to confront what was essentially a 10-year reliance on painkillers bordering on addiction.
After the Copenhagen debacle he said: "I'm done with this circus."
Agger made 232 appearances for Liverpool and scored 14 goals for the club after signing from Brondby in January 2006.
He left suggesting suggesting his relationship with former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers had broken down.
He said: "Rodgers didn't appreciate the things I could do."
