Leeds United favourite and former Hull City man who once cost £7m retires from playing

Former Scotland international Robert Snodgrass, who played four years with Leeds from 2008 to 2012, has announced his retirement from football after more than 600 professional games.

The 36-year-old most recently played for Hearts, making 25 appearances in 2022-23 before being released in April.

He also appeared in the Premier League for Hull City, Norwich, West Ham, and West Bromwich.

In an eight-year international career that began in 2011, while still a Leeds United player, he appeared 28 times for Scotland, scoring seven goals, including the winner in a memorable 1-0 victory over Croatia in Zagreb in 2013.

A knee injury the next year forced him to miss the majority of the 2014-15 season before returning to help Hull achieve promotion to the top flight the following year.

He wrote on social media, “A little lad from the east end of Glasgow got to live his childhood dream for 20 years, playing at ten great clubs, meeting amazing people, and developing relationships with staff and people around those clubs.”

“Being able to represent my nation and play in almost 600 games, scoring over 100 goals and 100 assists, is something I never pictured myself doing.

“Then getting told in 2014 I might never play football again after a (potentially) career ending knee injury to then come back and play another 250-plus games is something I am grateful for.”

Snodgrass was a big favourite at Elland Road, scoring 43 goals in 165 appearances.

He joined the Whites from Stirling in July 2008 as a winger or attacker and helped them gain promotion from League One in 2009-10.

He was moved to Norwich City for £3 million at the end of the 2011–12 season. Hull spent £6 million for him two years later, and in two and a half seasons in East Yorkshire, he appeared in 57 games and scored 13 goals.

Hull paid £7 million for him in the summer of January 2017, when he transferred to West Ham.