Former Chelsea Italian forward Fabio Borini has announced his retirement at the age of 35, having also played for amongst others Roma, Milan, Liverpool. Sunderland and Sampdoria.
The centre-forward was considered once one of the brightest young talents with a huge future ahead of him, but it never quite materialised.
A product of the Bologna youth academy, he was poached by Chelsea in 2007, then returned to Italy in 2011.
His career really took off at Roma, earning the €13.3m move to Liverpool in the summer of 2012, and his one and only senior appearance for Italy that same year.
Borini continued at Sunderland, Milan and Hellas Verona, concluding his career with Fatih Karagumruk in Turkiye, Serie B for Sampdoria, and finally Salford.
His contract had expired on June 30 and today the 35-year-old announced he was hanging up his boots for good with an emotional dedication to Chelsea, where it all really began.
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“It all started with a flight,” Borini was quoted by Live Score. “Thank you Chelsea. I was 16 years old. A flight I spent entirely with tears in my eyes, beginning the journey of my career with no real destination, other than the dreams I wanted to achieve.
“From that day on, I started building myself, without knowing what would become of that kid with such a strong mindset. I started building my dreams in my head, and somehow, I ended up turning them into my reality.
“The same reality that today will change forever. The reality that has shaped my past, my present and my future. Today, just like that day when I sat on a plane to London, I feel those same emotions about what lies ahead. “Fear. “Happiness. “Courage. “Uncertainty. “Dreams. “Success. “Passion. “Sacrifice.
“I want to thank that kid who never stopped believing. And the man I am today will keep believing in the next opportunity, this time without a ball at my feet, but with that same belief. Always.
“THANK YOU. THANK YOU, FOOTBALL.”
