35 year-old Ex-Chelsea midfielder Ramires retires from football

Brazil international midfielder Ramires [Twitter]

Former Chelsea and Brazil international midfielder Ramires has announced his retirement from football at the age of 35.

Ramires had not played competitively since parting ways with Palmeiras by mutual consent in November 2020.

"After some time to reflect, I would like to communicate that I have officially decided to end my career as a professional footballer," Ramires said in a social media post on Wednesday.

"I will seek new horizons and approach life with the same happiness and will to succeed that I had when I was a child. Thank you for everything, football."

Ramires also represented Joinville, Cruzeiro, Benfica and Jiangsu Suning in a career that spanned 16 years.

He was capped 52 times for Brazil's national team, whom he represented at the 2010 and 2014 editions of the FIFA World Cup.