Right-back Danny Simpson has officially called time on his career, leaving less than half of Leicester City’s regular 2015-16 starting line-up still active in the game
Leicester City title-winner Danny Simpson has officially announced his retirement nearly three years after his last professional appearance.
The right-back, an integral presence in City’s 2016 back-line, has called time on his career to “concentrate on other projects”. He briefly represented non-league Macclesfield in the winter, but his last professional league match was with Bristol City in October 2021.
The 37-year-old has been working as a pundit for MUTV in recent years, covering boyhood club Manchester United. He also returned to Carrington last year to begin work on his coaching badges.
Simpson played more than 400 games in his career, including 133 at City, where he was the starting right-back for their incredible title success after Claudio Ranieri swapped him in for Ritchie De Laet. He left the club as a free agent in 2019 having lost his spot to Ricardo Pereira.
Writing on Instagram, Simpson said: “It’s the day that every footballer knows will come around eventually and the one nobody wants to happen but it’s time to announce my retirement from the game we all love so much.
“Whilst it is a day I never wanted to come and it’s been a while since I played, I know it is time to hang up my boots and concentrate on other projects. I have so much to be grateful for, football has given me so much and I need to say thank you to so many people. My friends, my team-mates and my family who all had to put up with me. Thank you.
“When I look back at my career, the obvious highlight will be that unforgettable time with Leicester City when we achieved what almost everyone felt was impossible. 5000-1 odds and we did it.
“Winning the 2016 Premier League was everything. The camaraderie that still exists with that team will be with us forever. Vichai built something very special at Leicester and to be on that journey and bring Champions League football to the city was special.
“Playing any minutes of professional football was the target as a teenage kid. To play more than 400 games, win trophies and make friends for life, I daren’t have wished for more.”
Fellow title-winners Andy King, Wes Morgan, Marc Albrighton, Nathan Dyer, and Demarai Gray were among those to congratulate Simpson on his career. Hamza Choudhury, Kasey McAteer, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Paul Konchesky and Harry Maguire were also among the well-wishers.
Simpson is the fourth City title-winner to retire over the past 12 months, following Danny Drinkwater, Shinji Okazaki, and King. It means that less than half of the regular starting 11 from that season are still playing.
Jamie Vardy is the last man standing at City, while Kasper Schmeichel is at Celtic, Riyad Mahrez and N’Golo Kante are in Saudi Arabia, and Albrighton is currently unattached after leaving the King Power Stadium. Regular substitutes Gray, Jeff Schlupp, and Daniel Amartey are also still active.
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