Wales and Swansea midfielder Allen retires

Swansea City and Wales midfielder Joe Allen is to retire after Saturday's final game of the Championship season.

Allen, 35, is out of contract at Swansea this summer and has opted to call time on a career in which he has made almost 600 club appearances and won 77 international caps.

He was one of the key figures in the most successful period in the history of Wales' men's team, playing at three major tournaments and establishing himself as one of the nation's finest players.

Allen's club career started and finished with boyhood club Swansea, while he also spent four years at Liverpool and six years with Stoke City, and had a brief spell on loan at Wrexham as a teenager.

"This is incredibly difficult. This is not something I've taken lightly, I've spent a lot of time pondering it," said Allen.

"The timing's right. I made the decision, got to 100% about a month ago. I wasn't sure how the last few weeks would go, how I'd find things, but it's actually been a good spell really. I've enjoyed it."

The Swans host Oxford United in their final match of the Championship season, which will also be the last game of Allen's career.

"I've had a chance to reflect and take it all in. I'm really looking forward to what's going to be my last game on Saturday," he added.

"I'm very proud. I didn't think I'd be sat here playing as many games as I have for clubs I have done at that level and for Wales as well.

"I've been incredibly fortunate and as I've reflected over the last few weeks very grateful and thankful to everyone who has has helped me on my way to have these amazing experiences."

Allen's retirement is likely to come as a disappointment to Wales head coach Craig Bellamy, who brought the Pembrokeshire-born player out of international retirement after taking charge last year.

Allen had originally halted his Wales career in February 2023, in the wake of the 2022 World Cup.

Wales ended a 64-year wait to play at the World Cup in Qatar, but the tournament was a disappointment for Robert Page's side as they went out at the group stage.

Allen started Wales' final game in the competition, against England, having returned after a long-term injury lay-off in their second group match against Iran.

There were happier times at Euro 2020, when Wales reached the second round, and most memorably at the 2016 European Championship.

Allen was one of the stars of what proved to be a golden summer as Chris Coleman's side reached the semi-finals of Wales' first major tournament since 1958.

Allen won his first Wales cap in 2009 having come through the ranks at Swansea, where he made his league debut as a 16-year-old in 2007.

He helped Swansea win the League One title in his full season, then played a central role as they became the first Welsh club to win promotion to the Premier League in 2011.

After a year in the top flight with Swansea, Allen followed manager Brendan Rodgers to Liverpool in a £15m deal in 2012.

He made 132 appearances for Liverpool, and was part of the side which came close to ending the Reds' wait for a Premier League title in 2014, before joining Stoke for £13m in 2016.

Allen played more than 200 games for the Potters, staying with the club despite relegation to the Championship in 2018, before opting to rejoin Swansea when his contract expired in 2022.

While he has had various injury issues since returning to Wales, Allen remained an important figure when fit to play, as well as being continually hailed for his influence away from the pitch.

He made just short of 250 Swansea appearances across two spells with the club he first joined at the age of nine.