Fara Williams will retire at the end of the season

The Reading midfielder Fara Williams, who is also England’s record appearance holder, will retire at the end of the season.

Fara Williams, 37, won 172 caps and played at four European Championships and three World Cups. She represented the British national football team at the 2012 Olympics. She played for Charlton, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, and Arsenal during her 20-year career.

“After much consideration & despite offers to remain within the game, I have made the difficult decision to retire from professional football at the end of the season”, wrote Fara Williams on twitter. “It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have had a career of more than 20 years within the women’s game”, adds the tweet.

Fara Williams was part of the England squad that finished third at the 2015 World Cup and passed Rachel Yankey’s record of 129 caps in 2014. She won two Women’s Super League titles with Liverpool and won the FA Cup twice, in 2010 with Everton and in 2016 with Arsenal.

“It is the right time”, said Fara Williams. “You know when your body is done”, added she.

Fara Williams’ recent playing time has been limited by a kidney condition.