Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has revealed the real reason he retired from professional football early: the only alternative was signing for Scottish club Aberdeen, which would have meant an eight-hour drive from his home.
Agbonlahor's early retirement at 31
The claret and blue icon hung up his boots in 2018 at the age of 31, after 13 years at Villa Park. He had been struggling with recurring calf problems, but also considered trying to revive his career elsewhere. However, when his agent presented him with the offer from Aberdeen, he quickly changed his mind.
What Agbonlahor said about Aberdeen
Speaking on the In The Mixer podcast, Agbonlahor explained: "I finished my contract at Aston Villa and thought: 'Let me just take my time on it.' Then I remember my agent phoning me – I've never said this before… He was like: 'Aberdeen?' No disrespect to Aberdeen, but I put it in the satnav app and it said it was an eight-hour drive or something. So I sent it to him and I said: 'I'm not sure this is going to work, it's a bit far.' He laughed and I was like: 'No, I think I'll stop!'"
Agbonlahor's Aston Villa legacy
Agbonlahor made nearly 400 appearances for the Villans, scoring 86 goals. He also had brief loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Watford. The striker earned three caps for England, making his debut against Germany in 2008 under Fabio Capello.
You can listen to the full podcast episode online.
