EX-USWNT player Ali Krieger, on Thursday, announced retirement from professional football after one and a half decades in the game.
A winner of two successive world titles with US in 2015 and 2019, the 35-year-old announced that this year will be her last in the Gotham FC colors.
Krieger announced told CBS Morning News, “I feel like my body’s ready.”
“I feel like you just know when it’s time and I want to spend a lot of time with my kids and and just enjoy the 16-17 year career that I’ve had, and look back and be really proud.”
Expressing her pride in the longevity of her playing career, she said, “It’s not easy to get here.”
“But once you get here you have to figure out how to stay here,” Krieger said. “And that’s probably the most difficult thing. So you have to have that mentality to fight every single day and just want to have this growth mindset of getting better every day in order to stay at the top. And that’s really difficult.”
“So I think that’s what I’m proud of, too.” On where she wants to leave Gotham FC, Krieger said, “That’s the goal (leaving Gotham in a good place) this year with the team, doing everything I can to help us be successful.”
“I feel a lot of responsibility for this year, and for the team, so that’s probably my main focus as of now. I’m trying not to think too far ahead. Then towards the end, after the championship, I just want to enjoy some time with my family because I don’t really get that often.”
Gotham kick-start their NWSL season with a date against Angel City at BMO Stadium on 26 March, 9:00 PM ET.
