Ankle injury ends Martyn career

Everton FC's former English international goalkeeper Nigel Martyn has been forced to retire by a persistent ankle injury.

Ankle agony
The 39-year-old, who won 23 caps for his country, had been sidelined since the end of January with a hairline fracture to the joint. He had a scan on Wednesday afternoon which revealed that the bone had still not healed sufficiently and will require a further operation to pin it, and with Martyn's contract with the Premiership club due to expire at the end of the month, he has opted to hang up his gloves.

'Enjoyed every minute'
"It was a decision based on being able to live a normal life afterwards - that was the primary concern," said Martyn, who made 666 league appearances in a career spanning 19 seasons and encompassing spells with Bristol Rovers FC, Crystal Palace FC, Leeds United AFC and Everton, whom he joined in 2003. "Once I made my decision the manager [David Moyes] needed to be informed. I've enjoyed every minute of my time with Everton, I have a lot to be thankful to them for. To be able to play two and a half seasons [with Everton] was a big thing for me because it meant I could finish my career properly."