Uruguayan star Marcelo Zalayeta announces retirement

Uruguayan football star, Marcelo Zalayeta, who plays for Penarol, has announced he would be retiring from the game in 2016 as he no longer enjoys the game.

"I will stop playing in the first half of the year. I realized I am not giving what I used to give. I do not feel I am a hindrance but this is a personal decision I took five months ago," Xinhua quoted Zalayeta as telling Sport, a local radio station, on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old denied that he was retiring due to injuries, but the former Juventus player said: "It would be nice to go out as champion. However, whatever the result, the decision is taken."

Zalayeta added that during his last Copa Libertadores he would "enjoy it as much as I can and work as hard as possible".

When asked what he might do after hanging up his boots, he joked and said: "I will open a vegetable stand", while adding that he would likely remain outside the football world.

Zalayeta began his career with the Montevideo club of Danubio in 1995 before going on to play for Juventus, Empoli, Perugia, Napoli and Bologna in Italy, Sevilla in Spain and Kayserispor in Turkey.

He was also a star for the Uruguay national team, scoring 10 goals in 47 caps.