Lukasz Fabianski announces his retirement from professional football aged 41 and gets set to take up a new role.
He had closed the chapter on his playing career, frustrated due to back problems, admiting he felt he hadn’t returned to a high enough level after the injury.
He made a total of 376 Premier League appearances tally, just missing out on 400 with his contract at West Ham expiring on June 30th.
“It’s a shame it didn’t work out. I was vocal at the club that this was my goal. You know how it is: when you reach 100, you want 200. When you have 200, you want 300. And so on.”
“I feel fulfilled.” Fabianski added.
He does have a plan for the future, to be a goalkeeping coach, but for now he is looking forward to helping young players gradually reach a high level of goalkeeping.
He wrote via social media: “Some goodbyes are harder than others.
“Today is one of those days.
“After so many unforgettable years, the time has come for me to close the most beautiful chapter of my life. I have made the difficult decision to retire from football as a goalkeeper.
“For as long as I can remember, football has been my passion, my purpose, and my home.
“It has given me moments of pure joy, unforgettable victories, heartbreaking defeats, painful injuries, and challenges that tested me in every possible way. Every training session, every save, every mistake, every comeback and every match shaped not only the goalkeeper I became, but the person I am today.
“Standing between the posts taught me courage when I was afraid, humility when I succeeded, resilience when I failed, and belief when everything seemed impossible.
“To every coach who believed in me, every teammate who fought alongside me, every club that gave me the opportunity to wear its badge with pride, every supporter who stood behind me, and most importantly, my family – thank you.
“Thank you for believing in me even when I doubted myself. Thank you for every word of encouragement, every sacrifice, every celebration, and every difficult moment we overcame together. I could never have done this alone.
“Football has given me friendships that will last a lifetime, memories no one can ever take away, and values that will stay with me forever.
“But this is not goodbye.
“This is simply the beginning of a new journey.
“From today, my mission is to give back to the game that has given me everything. I want to inspire, develop, and support the next generation of goalkeepers, helping them believe in themselves and chase their dreams – just as I once chased mine.
“Because being a goalkeeper isn’t just a position.
“It’s a mindset.
“It’s a way of life.
“And it stays with you forever.
“Once a goalkeeper. Always a goalkeeper.
“Thank you, football.
“Thank you for everything.”
FABIANSKI’S CAREER:
Youth career
1999–2000 – Polonia Słubice
2000–2001 – MSP Szamotuły
2001–2002 – Lubuszanin Drezdenko
2002–2003 – Sparta Brodnica
2003–2004 – Mieszko Gniezno
2004–2005 – Lech Poznań
Senior career
2004–2005 – Lech Poznań
2005–2007 – Legia Warsaw – 62 appearances
2007–2014 – Arsenal – 78 appearances
2014–2018 – Swansea City – 150 appearances
2018–2026 – West Ham United – 216 appearances
Total – 507 appearances
International career
2002 – Poland U17 – 3 appearances
2004 – Poland U19 – 3 appearances
2006 – Poland U20 – 1 appearances
2005 – Poland U21 – 6 appearances
2006–2021 – Poland – 57 appearances
