Denmark's Paaske-Sørensen retires

Cathrine Paaske-Sørensen, capped 121 times by Denmark, has announced her retirement from football aged 32.

The midfielder will play her last game when Fortuna Hjørring take on Odense BK on Saturday, the reigning champions aiming to extend their winning start to 14 matches ahead of the winter break. Paaske-Sørensen, whose last international appearance was in the 0-0 draw in Switzerland on 7 October that ended Denmark's FIFA Women's World Cup hopes, will start full-time work as a nurse on 1 December.

"For a long time I have wanted to make use of my training as a nurse, and after we were knocked out of the World Cup, I felt that the time was right," she explained. "I have been applying for work, and now I have found a permanent job.

"People who know me will know that when I do something, I do it 100%, and therefore I am going to concentrate on being a nurse from now on. I have decided to end my football career while I am still enjoying it. I have had a fantastic career with almost unbelievable moments. There were the finals with the national team, and the championships with Brøndby, Linköping, Sydney and Fortuna. I am going to miss it all."

Beginning her career with B1921, Rødovre BK and Hillerød GI, she joined Brøndby IF in 2001 and in a seven-year stay won four Danish titles and was twice the nation's women's footballer of the year. She left in 2009 to help Linköpings FC to the Swedish championship and then moved on to Sydney FC, adding an Australian title. At the start of 2010 she joined Fortuna, aiding them to the Danish championship, and after a summer spell with Pali Blues in the United States rejoined Hjørring, playing in their recent run to the UEFA Women's Champions League round of 16.

Her international debut came on 14 March 2000 and she played at three UEFA European Women's Championship final tournaments and the 2007 World Cup. She scored 36 goals for Denmark.