Former Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano has announced his retirement.
The 36-year-old had been playing in his native Argentina for Estudiantes, who he had joined a year ago from Chinese club Hebei China Fortune.
“I want to announce that today I am retiring from soccer professionally,” said Mascherano on Sunday evening.
“I want to thank this club that gave me the opportunity to finish my career in Argentina.”
Mascherano spent more than three years at Liverpool having been snapped up by Rafael Benitez in February 2007 on an initial loan deal from West Ham United that was delayed by a month after an appeal to FIFA to allow the transfer to go through after complications over ownership rights.
The deal was made permanent 12 months later for a fee of £18.6million.
Mascherano went on to make 139 appearances for Liverpool, scoring two goals, and played in the 2007 Champions League final defeat to AC Milan in Athens.
He had wanted to move to Barcelona in 2009 but, with the Reds refusing to entertain a move, stayed for another season before leaving for Camp Nou for £17.5million in mild acrimony after being omitted by Roy Hodgson from a defeat at Manchester City.
Mascherano was transformed into a centre-back at Barcelona and won the Champions League twice, including beating Manchester United at Wembley in 2011.
After the game, he said: “I want to say, I know that Liverpool supporters, after my exit, I know they were a little bit sad with me – this is for them as well.”
In almost eight years at Barcelona he won five La Liga titles, five Copa del Reys, two UEFA Super Cups and two FIFA Club World Cups. He also won 147 caps for Argentina and featured in their 2014 World Cup final defeat to Germany in Brazil.