Former Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who spent eight years at the Emirates Stadium, has shocked the football world by announcing his early retirement from professional football at the age of 34.
The former Juventus and Arsenal shot-stopper revealed his decision on Instagram, citing a lack of passion and a desire to spend more time with his family.
Born on April 18, 1990, in Warsaw, Poland, Szczesny began his club career at Legia Warsaw before joining Arsenal in January 2006. He made his professional debut in 2009 and went on to win two FA Cups, earning the joint Premier League Golden Glove award with Petr Čech in the 2013-14 season.
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Szczesny kept 48 clean sheets in the Premier League with Arsenal, averaging a clean sheet in 36% of his Premier League appearances—an identical record to that of Petr Čech. The keeper conceded 154 goals in the league, with an average of 1.17 goals conceded per game.
His impressive performances led to consecutive season-long loans to Italian club Roma in 2015, followed by a move to Juventus in 2017. He won three consecutive Serie A titles, earned the Serie A Best Goalkeeper Award, and received a Yashin Trophy nomination in 2019.
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At the international level, Szczesny earned over 80 caps for Poland since his debut in 2009, participating in four UEFA Euro tournaments (2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024) and two FIFA World Cups (2018 and 2022).
Garth Crooks once described Szczesny as “the finest thing to come out of Poland since sausage.” Throughout his 15-year career, Szczesny achieved incredible success, winning 11 major trophies in England and Italy.
His legacy of hard work, dedication, and passion for the beautiful game will never be forgotten, and his impact on the sport will be felt across the football world.
