Former England international Darius Vassell announces retirement

Former England international Darius Vassell has announced his retirement from football at the age of 35.

Vassell spent the majority of his career in England's top flight but has been without a club since leaving Leicester City in 2012.

The striker is most closely associated with Aston Villa, where he began his career before going on to score 45 goals in 201 games for the club.

His form earned him an England call-up, and his 22 caps under Sven-Goran Eriksson included playing at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004.

"I have enjoyed my career in football playing at the highest level, doing something I genuinely loved, and I felt that now was the right time to announce my retirement and look to the next phase of my life," Vassell said in a statement.

Vassell also played more than 100 times for Manchester City before spending a season with Turkish club Ankaragucu.