Matildas star Sally Shipard retires

Charismatic Matildas and Canberra United midfielder Sally Shipard has retired from football citing injuries as the main reason why her career is over.

Charismatic Matildas and Canberra United midfielder Sally Shipard has retired from football citing injuries as the main reason why the 26-year-old-s football playing career is over.

Shipard announced her retirement from the USA today, saying in her exclusive column for www.footballaustralia.com.au that it wasn-t an easy decision to make.

“Primarily it is for physical reasons - my knees continue to swell following bouts of running, and unfortunately... football incorporates plenty of it!” she wrote in Chasing always, balls no more.

Shipard burst onto the football scene as a 16-year-old a decade ago at the Athens Olympics.

Her prodigious work-rate and ability to direct a game from the centre of the park won her many admirers.

She made more than 60 national team appearances, including at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups. Shipard was also a key member of the 2010 AFC Asian Cup-winning Matildas team.

At club level, Shipard played for Bayer Leverkusen and for Canberra-s Westfield W-League winning side, for whom she scored for last season in her comeback game.

The popular Aussie with the winning smile is also the inspiration behind the website www.chasingleather.com which addresses issues of mental health, women in sport and her football career.