Former Chelsea and Shanghai Shenhua player Denpa Ba, 36, announced his retirement and ended his career in a post on social media.
Demba wrote:
When I announced the end of my career, my heart was filled with gratitude.
What a wonderful journey. In addition to those sweat and tears, football has brought me a lot of good memories. The cheers of the fans after each goal and the celebration with my teammates will always be remembered in my heart and mind.
I want to thank everyone I've met along the way and helped me grow, every club that has given me the opportunity, the fans who have been supporting me, and the family and friends who have always loved me.
Thank you very much. (End of full text)
The 36-year-old, Denba Ba, from Senegal, plays as a striker and has played for West Ham United, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Besiktas and Shanghai Shenhua in his career.
In January 2013, Demba Joined Chelsea from Newcastle United for a transfer fee of €8.5 million, during which time he made 51 appearances for the Blues, contributing 14 goals and five assists.
He came to Besiktas from Chelsea in July 2014. In July 2015, Shanghai Shenhua acquired Denba-Ba for 13 million euros, and he played 54 games for Shenhua, scoring 34 goals and eight assists.