In his final professional match, Joe Allen, a key player in Wales' golden age and a central figure in their Euro 2016 semi-final run, retires from football after a career marked by technical quality and tenacity. Allen, known as 'The Welsh Xavi', played for Liverpool and Stoke City before returning to his boyhood club Swansea City. Injuries hampered his second spell at Swansea, and at 35, he acknowledges the physical toll of his career. Allen had earlier retired from international football after Wales' group-stage exit at the 2022 World Cup but was persuaded to return by head coach Craig Bellamy. Allen's last game will be Swansea's home match against Oxford United on Saturday, ending any hopes of a "fairytale ending" with Wales.
Source: BBC Sports Football
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