Longtime Wales defender Gunter retires at 33

Defender Chris Gunter, who was capped 109 times by Wales, has announced his retirement from football at the age of 33.

Gunter will assume an official coaching role with the national team this summer after having informally joined Rob Page's coaching staff earlier this year.

"I'm announcing my retirement from professional football at the end of this season," Gunter wrote on Instagram. "I feel incredibly fortunate and blessed to have enjoyed the highs and lows of the past 17/18 years. Over 720 games have brought many challenges and opportunities which through all of it I've always given my absolute all. Thank you to all the managers who believed in me and all the players I've been fortunate to share the dressing room with. None of it would have been possible without the support of my family from the moment I started playing football. They've followed and supported my journey every step of the way."

A native of Newport, Gunter was a product of the Cardiff City academy and made his senior debut with the team in 2006 and would go on to play to in 17 pro seasons with the Bluebirds, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest, Reading, Charlton Athletic and AFC Wimbledon, with whom he played this past season and made 30 appearances in League Two. While a vast majority of Gunter's career was spent in the Championship, he made 25 Premier League appearances with Spurs and Reading.

Internationally, Gunter retires as the Dragons' second-most-capped player and played in two Euros for Wales. He was on the Wales squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but did not see game time.