Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore announced his retirement from football at the age of 30 on this day in 2001.
Collymore hung up his boots after a brief spell with Spanish club Real Oviedo, just weeks after joining from Bradford.
The former England international retired without informing the club, who reportedly only found out through the Spanish press.
Collymore won three England caps, making his debut in a 2-1 victory over Japan in 1995 before featuring against Brazil and winning a final cap against Moldova two years later.
He broke the English transfer record when he moved from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool for £8.5 million in 1995.
Collymore, who had previously played for Stafford Rangers, Crystal Palace and Southend, earned his move to Anfield after two prolific seasons with Forest, helping them win promotion to the top flight in the first and then finish third in the table.
But Collymore only lived up to his reputation in flashes at Liverpool, memorably scoring a injury-time winner in a thrilling 4-3 win over title-chasing Newcastle in 1996.
He left Anfield after two seasons, moving to Aston Villa before having brief spells at Fulham, Leicester and Bradford as a string of off-field controversies overshadowed his later career.
His most memorable moment in a Bradford shirt came on his debut in a West Yorkshire derby against Leeds in October 2000 as he scored an overhead kick in a 1–1 draw.
Collymore ended his turbulent career in Spain, after signing an 18-month contract with Oviedo in January 2001.
He made his debut as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat to Las Palmas, but coach Radomir Antic expressed his disappointment at Collymore’s fitness before the striker made the shock decision to walk away from the game.
