Tom Rogic has paid an emotional tribute to Celtic after announcing his retirement from football aged 30.
The Australia international joined the Parkhead club in January 2013 and the attacking midfielder played a key role in Celtic’s successes in the years since.
In over 250 games for the club, the former Central Coast Mariners player scored 46 goals and won the league six times, the Scottish Cup on five occasions and collected five League Cup winnersโ medals.
The 30-year-old had been without a club since leaving West Brom, and after announcing that his wife is expecting twins, he has made the decision to hang up his boots.
He wrote on Instagram: “After careful consideration I have made the decision to retire from professional football. I have always been rather private with things in my personal life but I feel given the significance, I think it is important for people to understand why and how I have made my decision.
“Throughout the past seven years, my wife and I have been on an immensely challenging journey with fertility issues. After years of trying and many failed rounds of IVF, my wife and I were fortunate enough to welcome the birth of our daughter in 2021. I have loved every minute of being a dad and consider it my greatest achievement in life.
“After experiencing some more struggles and heartache with fertility treatment, we have recently received the amazing news that our family is growing and we will be expecting twins in 2024. Given our past and how hard we have fought for this, along with the challenges that will come with having twins and a two-year-old, now seems like the right time to give my focus and attention to what is the most important thing in my life – my family.”
“I feel very lucky to have had a career where I spent the majority of my time playing at Celtic Football Club, one of the biggest clubs in the world, playing European football, winning many trophies and playing in front of 60,000 fans each week. I have also been lucky enough to represent my country with the Socceroos on over 50 occasions and experienced playing in major international tournaments.
“I’d like to thank all of my teammates for everything over the past 12 years, it’s been a special journey which I’ll look back on with fond memories. I feel very lucky to have formed some wonderful friendships through football and experienced so many special moments together.
“I would also like to thank Peter Lawwell and Dermot Desmond. Without their help all of this would not have been possible. Through Peter and Dermot, I was put in direct contact with one of the world’s leading medical experts, which eventually led to my wife and I being placed at the clinic that would give us the best chance possible to start a family.
“To the managers who supported and guided me through some tough times, I’d like to say a big thank you to Brendan Rodgers, Neil Lennon, John Kennedy and Ange Postecoglou. Indeed I would like to thank everyone in football who has given me such great opportunity throughout my career to be part of the game I love. And finally, I want to thank all the fans who have given me so much support, you have been everything to me. I’m looking forward to what comes next and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for us.”
Celtic paid tribute to the midfielder on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Celtic FC’s Wizard of Ozโฆ because of the wonderful things he does.
“Best of luck in your retirement, Tom Rogic.”
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