Chelsea Champions League winner Ryan Bertrand, 34, announces retirement from football live on Sky Sports

FORMER Chelsea star Ryan Bertrand announced his retirement live on Sky Sports.

The 34-year-old had been without a club for a year after leaving Leicester.

Ryan Bertrand announced his retirement live on Sky Sports

GettyThe defender helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2012[/caption]

Bertrand spent the majority of his career at SouthamptonGetty

And he won 19 England capsPA:Empics Sport

Bertrand has struggled with injury issues in the past few years and he made just 11 appearances for the Foxes.

So he has decided to call it quits and announced his decision live on air.

He said: “Just to clarify officially I will be retiring from football.

“It’s been a little while but I get asked a lot of questions – ‘When are you coming back, what are you doing?’

“So, just to make that official I am retiring and very much looking forward to the next steps.”

Bertrand began his career at Chelsea and made 57 appearances for the Blues between 2010 and 2013.

He started the 2012 Champions League final, helping Chelsea beat Bayern Munich on penalties.

The left-back also won 19 England caps, scoring once, and spent the majority of his career at Southampton where he made 240 appearances.

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Bertrand now has plenty of time to pursue other interests, having already set up and sold his own company “Silicon Markets” – which aims to “bring institutional tools to the at-home trader”.

Bertrand also developed an emoji business alongside ex-team-mate John Terry.

Speaking to Sky Sports in 2021, he said: “Sports is my passion, that’ll never leave, but finance is another one.

“As you’re building the blocks towards post-career, you’ve got to re-learn, re-train, help yourself become an expert in something different.

“It’s those horror stories that have kept me ahead of the game, I’m always thinking forward.”

Bertrand’s impressive business-savvy attitude also led him to complete the Harvard alternative investments course.