Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué announces retirement at age 35

In surprising news, Barcelona center-back Gerard Pique has announced his retirement.

The 35-year-old posted a video on his social media breaking the news.

Pique has been in the limelight this season for spending most of the time

on the bench since the arrival of Jules Kaunde and Andreas Christensen.

He is also being heavily scrutinized for his drop in form when called up by Xavi Hernandez.

He was one of the singles players after Barcelona's 3–3 draw against Inter Milan all but ruled him out of the Champions League.

A player from La Masia, Pique returned from Manchester United in the 2008/09 season - the first under Pep Guardiola.

He is an integral part of the Spain team that won the World Cup in 2020. In short, they won a lot.

He was a perfect fit for Barcelona's style of play.

He has gone through good and bad times. He also made sacrifices and helped the club off the field.

Age finally catches up with everyone and he just couldn't beat it this season.

Despite the criticism and a few whistles from some supporters at Camp Nou, he will be remembered as a club legend.