Wycombe Wanderers defender Alfie Mawson has announced his retirement from professional football with immediate effect.
The centre-back has enjoyed a well-travelled career, representing as many as nine different clubs and spending a second spell at Adams Park.
However, since 2020, Mawson has been hindered by knee injuries, making just 17 appearances between that year and 2022, 14 of which came out on loan at Bristol City while he was contracted to Fulham.
In a bid to kick-start his career, the 29-year-old returned to Wycombe in the summer, a club who he had represented on loan during 2014-15 and picked up several individual awards.
Between August and December, Mawson would have been delighted with making 20 starts and one substitute outing in League One and the FA Cup.
Over Christmas, however, the former England Under-21 international started having more issues with his knee, and it has led to his decision to end his playing days.
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Speaking to the official Wycombe Wanderers website, Mawson said: "It might come as a shock to some people, but to me, it's been coming for a while.
"After speaking to the specialists, to my family and to the gaffer, I've come to the difficult decision to retire. I had some time off around Christmas after feeling some pain in my knee and the pain hasn't gone away. I went for a scan and unfortunately the damage was done.
"I will always be a Wycombe fan. I don't want to just to say goodbye and leave, because I owe this club so much and I will miss the boys. Words can't do this club justice and what the staff have built here is incredible. I want to stay amongst the boys and be a shoulder to lean on and offer advice and knowledge.
"I knew this day was going to come – it's just sooner than I had hoped. But there's a lot worse things going on in the world and that makes you realise that at the end of the day, it's a job. I've loved it and it's been a hell of a journey. I've dedicated my life to it and I'll be forever grateful to the people that helped make that possible."
Mawson started his career at Brentford and went on to make 283 appearances in all competitions for the Bees and eight other clubs, Barnsley, Swansea City and Fulham.
Six outings also came with England Under-21s, while Mawson spent time training with Gareth Southgate's squad before the 2018 World Cup without representing the Three Lions.
Darren Plant
