Xabi Alonso announces retirement from football at the end of the season

XABI ALONSO has announced he will retire from football at the end of the season.

Bayern munich star Alonso had been considering his future for the last few months and has now finally reached the decision to hang up his boots.

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The 35-year-old announced his decision with a classy tweet which showed him waving goodbye to football just days after he starred in the Bayern midfield at Arsenal.

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In a simple message to his 10,9million followers, he wrote: "Lived it. Loved it. Farewell beautiful game."

Alonso has gone down in Anfield history for his part in the Champions League victory over AC Milan in 2005.

Alonso arrived at Liverpool in a £10.5million deal from Real Sociedad in August 2004, and won the Champions League in his first season.

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The cultured midfielder scored the crucial equalising goal in Istanbul as the Reds came back from 3-0 down at half-time to beat Milan on penalties.

He was, by some distance, the best central midfielder I ever played alongside.

Steven Gerrard on Xabi Alonso

Alonso was a huge favourite with the Anfield crowd and went on to win the FA Cup in 2006 as part of the side that beat West Ham on penalties in a thrilling final in Cardiff.

The midfielder continued his success after his £30million move to Real Madrid in 2009, helping the Spanish giants to a La Liga title in 2012 and Champions League glory in 2014.

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He won the Bundesliga in his first two years with Bayern, and is hoping to help the club to a hat-trick of titles this season.

Alonso's success was not just limited to club football - he was a World Cup winner with Spain in 2010 and also lifted two European Championship titles with his country.

Former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard has no doubt about the quality of Alonso - hailing him as royalty.

Writing in his autobiography, Gerrard said: "It was clear Alonso was royalty after our first training session together and Rafa Benitez, who had been so clever to buy him in the first place, was equally stupid to sell him to Real Madrid five years later.

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"He was, by some distance, the best central midfielder I ever played alongside."

He is widely regarded as one of the best creative midfield players of his generation, but has decided that the time is right to hang up his boots.

Alonso is still a key player for Bayern but the German club are looking to freshen up their squad this summer and despite offers to play elsewhere, the Spaniard will call it a day when this season finishes.