Former Hull City and Reading man and Ipswich Town promotion winner Sone Aluko has announced his retirement at the age of 35.
Ipswich Town achieved a historic promotion to the Premier League at the weekend, with former Hull City and Reading ace Aluko among the players celebrating the remarkable rise.
35-year-old Aluko may not have had a prevalent role to play in the Championship, with just one outing of only two minutes for the attacking midfielder. He found minutes in the cups though, playing six times across the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Aluko’s deal with the Tractor Boys expires this summer and an exit has looked to be on the cards for a little while.
Now though, not only will the Nigerian see his time at Portman Road come to a close, but he’ll be hanging up the boots and bringing an end to his playing career this summer too.
Speaking at Ipswich Town’s awards night, Aluko confirmed that this will be his last season as a professional player. He ends his time in the game having played for Aberdeen, Hull City, Reading, Fulham and more over his career.
Here’s what he had to say on the matter:
“I couldn’t think of a better place to end my career.
“From top to bottom the Club is amazing, and it has been a privilege to be here. I’ve not played as much as I would have liked, but this has still been the best year of my career.
“All of the lads, I love every one of you, even you, Harry Clarke.”
Playing a part in a remarkable promotion to the Premier League and a second consecutive rise marks a fantastic feat for all at Ipswich Town, even those such as Aluko who may not have played much on the pitch.
Despite his limited minutes, Aluko’s experience and leadership in the dressing room and around the training ground would have been a fantastic influence. Nott only that, but he spoke earlier this season about how he has been working with the club’s analysts, learning another side of the game.
Whether he has a future in that, time will tell, but Aluko will be fondly remembered at Portman Road regardless.
Aluko was a regular in the Championship earlier in his career, enjoying fruitful stints with Hull City, Reading and Fulham. While managing 24 goals and 25 assists in 192 Championship games, he also played 42 times in the Premier League.
With the Tigers, Aluko managed 14 goals and nine assists in 108 games. He also enjoyed fruitful stints north of the border with Aberdeen and Rangers.
As a dangerous attacking midfielder or winger, Aluko will be fondly remembered by plenty of fans as his playing days come to a close.
