Former Bolton favourite Gary Cahill has announced his retirement from professional football aged 36.

Cahill joined the Whites from Aston Villa in 2008 and went on to make 147 appearances for the club during a four-year spell.

His consistent form at the UniBol earned a first England call-up in the summer of 2009 and he went on to make his international debut the following year.

The defender represented his country 61 times in total and was called up for all four major tournaments between 2012 and 2018.

He left Wanderers to join Chelsea, where he won two Premier League titles and also had success in Europe.

Cahill also had stints at Crystal Palace and Bournemouth in recent years but believes now is the right time to call time on his playing career.

He wrote on his Twitter page: “Football is a game that has given me so much enjoyment and success and as I make the decision to hang up my boots, I can honestly say I gave it everything I had.

“I’ve achieved things I once dreamt of, creating some incredible memories. From amazing highs like winning the Champions League and Premier League, to the privilege of captaining my country and Chelsea in an FA Cup winning team will remain with me forever.

“I’ve also made some fantastic friendships with people across the football world, from team-mates, managers and the unsung heroes behind the scenes, I just want to say a massive thank you.

“Taking the decision to stop playing is not an easy one. I’ve spent 20 years training every day, putting in the work to be in the best possible shape for matchday to help the teams I’ve played for be successful.

"I’ve had time to consider my options and after much deliberation and reflection I feel now is the time to move on to the next stage of my career.”

He added: “Football will always be part of who I am and what I love, so this is just the end of this chapter. For me, its important to look forwards not backwards as a new chapter in my life begins.”