Summary Vince Grella said he would return to Italy and base himself there with his young family.
SYDNEY: Former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Vince Grella has announced his retirement from football after injury cut short his long-awaited debut in Australia's A-League following more than a decade in Europe.
Grella returned to Australia this year to play with Melbourne Heart, a major signing for his hometown side, and took the field for the first time on Saturday.
The midfielder played for just 22 minutes before his calf gave way, the latest in a lengthy string of injuries that have kept him on the sidelines, and he said he took it as a sign.
"I've tried and left no stone unturned. It's been frustrating because I'm a competitor, and I've always tried to compete at the top level as often as possible," the 33-year-old said Tuesday.
"Ending in this way, not because of a lack of passion or lack of enjoyment, but a physical problem which doesn't allow you to compete any more, that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.
"But I enjoyed so much the good times. Now I've just got to accept my time's up."
Grella earned 46 caps for Australia and featured for the Socceroos when they reached the World Cup finals in 2006 and 2010.
He spent the bulk of his career overseas, playing for Blackburn from 2008 to 2012 in the English Premier League and spending a decade in Italy with stints at Empoli, Torino and Parma.
Grella said he would return to Italy and base himself there with his young family, hoping to remain involved in the game post-retirement.
