William Gallas, Formerly of Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and France, Retires Aged 37

Premier League journeyman and ex-France international William Gallas has announced his retirement from football at the age of 37.

The defender turned out for London giants Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at the height of his career, but BBC Sport announced on Thursday morning his decision to hang up his boots:

Gallas spent 12 years in the Premier League. He most recently represented Perth Glory in Australia's A-League, reaching the end of his one-year deal signed in October 2013.

The Daily Mail's Phil Duncan quoted Gallas saying of his decision to retire: "It is not an easy thing to announce. You always tell yourself that you can keep going, but, I think today I cannot go on any longer."

It's commendable for the player to have advanced this far in his career at centre-back, but as WhoScored.com's Ben McAleer attests, Gallas' best form would appear to be behind him:

The Frenchman has held a penchant for causing controversy wherever his career has taken him, whether it's swapping allegiances between north London rivals or firing France to the 2010 World Cup through debatable means.

Gallas spent six seasons in his native Ligue 1 at the beginning of his professional career, representing Caen and Marseille before moving to Stamford Bridge in 2001, where he would enjoy his most fruitful years.

It was with Chelsea that the stalwart won back-to-back Premier League titles between 2004 and 2006, as well as earning two nominations for the Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year.

Bruno Bebert/Getty Images

Gallas also turned out for Les Bleus on 84 occasions, sitting just outside France's top 10 most capped players, with 10th-placed Fabien Barthez boasting 87 to his name.

All ruffled feathers and cagey relationships aside, Gallas was an elite defender in his playing pomp, and it's not every defender who can play among some of the Premier League's finest line-ups for more than a decade.

His days came to something of an underwhelming end Down Under, but Gallas nevertheless provided international audiences with entertainment during his career, even if not all for the right reasons.