A heart problem forces Leva, the former Liverpool player, to retire Gulf newspaper

Reuters

Former Liverpool and Lazio midfielder Lucas Leiva announced his retirement from football, Friday, due to a heart problem, bringing the curtain down on a 17-year professional career.

The 36-year-old played about 600 matches during his career, most of them in Europe, after he joined Liverpool in 2007 before moving to Serie A in 2017, where he played for five seasons with Lazio.

Leva returned last summer to his boyhood club, Gremio, and played 17 matches and scored three goals for the Brazilian team before he was sidelined last December, when he was diagnosed with a heart attack after routine checks.

“I sincerely thank Gremio for the support he has given me over the past three months,” Leiva told a news conference. Today I announce my retirement. It was a difficult period.” He continued, “I finished my career where I wanted, but not in the way I wanted. But I trust that a new chapter will begin. My health comes first.”

The Brazilian, who won the 2007 South American Under-20 Championship, won 24 international matches.