Former Stoke City and Republic of Ireland striker Jonathan Walters has announced his retirement from football at the age of 35 after successive Achilles injuries.
Walters, who was with Burnley but on loan with Championship side Ipswich Town, said that watching Ireland - with whom he was capped 54 times - compete in Euro 2020 qualifiers has been the hardest part of stepping away from the game.
"It's the most difficult part," he told BBC Radio. "When you're watching Ireland, that's heartbreaking...I haven't played a lot of club football the past couple of years, and I've always said I could park that to the side, but the one thing I'll miss the most is the international side."
A native of Moreton, England, Walters qualified for Ireland through his mother and appeared for the national team from 2010 to 2018.
Walters was a product of the Blackburn Rovers academy and made his debut with the senior team in 2000, before making his Premier League bow with Bolton Wanderers in 2002.
Over his 19-year pro career, Walters also played for the likes of Hull City, Wrexham and Chester City, but is best remembered for a seven-year stint with the Potters for whom he played from 2010 to their relegation from the Premier League in 2017. In 226 league appearances for Stoke, Walters scored 43 times.
Injuries limited his Burnley career to only six appearances over two years.
Walters says he hasn't yet decided on his next move, indicating that he'd like to get into coaching to work with his son.
"I'll take a variety of roots and see which path is the right one to go down," Walters said. "I've got involved with media work over the past year or so and really enjoyed that, because you can give your perspective on football."
Whatever comes next, Walters says it won't be for need of money.
"I've been clever with my finances down the year and it's not something that I need, I'd do it to look after people and guide them in the way I've looked after myself during my career," he said.
