Leeds United favourite and former Hull City man who once cost £7m retires from playing

Former Scotland international Robert Snodgrass, who spent four years at Leeds from 2008 to 2012, has announced his retirement from football after more than 600 professional games.

The 36-year-old most recently played for Hearts, appearing 25 times during 2022-23 before being released in April.

He also played in the Premier League for Hull City, as well as Norwich,West Ham and West Brom.

In an international career that spanned eight years following his debut in 2011, when still a Leeds United player, he played 28 times for Scotland, scoring seven goals including the winner in a famous 1-0 win over Croatia in Zagreb in 2013.

A knee injury sustained the following year caused him to miss most of the 2014-15 season before recovering to help Hull secure promotion back to the top flight the following year.

Posting on social media, he said: “A little lad from the east end of Glasgow got to live his childhood dream for 20 years playing at 10 great clubs, meeting amazing people and building relationships with staff and people around those clubs.

“Getting to represent my country, playing over 600 games scoring over 100 goals and 100 assists is something I would have never imagined doing.

“Then getting told in 2014 I might never play football again after a (potentially) career ending knee injury to then come back and play another 250-plus games is something I am grateful for.”

Snodgrass was a firm favourite in his time at Elland Road, scoring 43 goals from 165 appearances.

A winger or a forward, he signed from Stirling in July 2008 and helped the Whites win promotion from League One in the 2009-10 season.

He was sold to Norwich City at the end of the 2011-12 season for £3m. Hull paid £6m for him two years later and in two-and-a-half seasons in East Yorkshire, he made 57 appearances scoring 13 goals.

Hull got £7m for him in the summer January 2017 when he moved to West Ham.