Napoli legend Hamsik announces retirement

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Hamsik holds the Napoli club record for most appearances. AFP

Slovakian playmaker Marek Hamsik announced on Thursday that he would be retiring at the end of the season with Turkish league side Trabzonspor.

The 35-year-old is Slovakia's most capped player with 136 appearances and their all-time top scorer with 26 goals. He also holds the Napoli club record for most appearances.

"I want to announce the end of my career after the end of the season," he told a press conference. "It's not an easy decision but together with my family - my wife and my children - we decided that Daddy wants to go to home... it was a wonderful journey."

Hamsik started with Slovan Bratislava before moving to Italy in 2004 at the age of 17. After three seasons with Brescia he moved to Napoli in 2007 where he made 520 appearances over 12 seasons.

He joined Trabzonspor in June 2021 and was one of the main architects of the Black Sea club's title triumph last season, their first in 38 years. This season the club sit sixth in the Super Lig with two games left.

Hamsik captained Slovakia and led his country to the Round of 16 at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and Euro 2016 in France.