Glasgow City striker Clare Shine is retiring from football aged 27 after mental health issues that led to two threatens his own life.
Shine, who has been capped seven times by the Republic of Ireland, will bow when City entertain Hearts in Sunday’s Scottish Women’s Premier League match at Petershill.
“Emotionally and physically for the last couple of years, I’ve really struggled with regards to football and it’s not sustainable for me anymore,” he said.
“It’s been a long time coming. It’s been something that’s been on my mind for quite some time.”
Shine, who admits to struggling with the ups and downs of football and surviving a ‘nightmare’ of addiction, has been a key figure within the club’s charity, the City of Glasgow Foundation, over the last 18 months and will continue his I work as project coordinator.
She told City’s website that she would miss playing alongside her team-mates, but added: “I have to put my happiness and well-being first and I want to explore other opportunities and open a new chapter in my life.”
Shine, who also played for Raheny United on home soil, returned to City in 2019 after a second spell at hometown club Cork City.
She has made 105 appearances and scored 70 goals for the club who lost their 14-year hold on the Scottish title last season.
Having first moved to Glasgow in 2015, she finished that campaign as top scorer with 17 goals, including a hat-trick in the Scottish Cup final victory over Hibernian, before making her international debut against Spain.
After leaving City after a second season in which she won the title as top scorer, Shine again scored 19 goals in her first season, including a last-gasp winner against Hibs to secure her first win in the Scottish Cup final since his heroism in the previous cup final.
Shine scored a hat-trick on the opening day of the current season against the Spartans, playing five times in total, with head coach Eileen Gleeson describing it as “the end of an era”.
Gleeson said Shine was “an outstanding footballer”, “a brilliant ambassador for both club and country”, “a winner”, “a leader”, “a role model” and “an inspiration to many”.
Executive director Laura Montgomery said “it will be a huge loss on the court and in the locker room” and that signing her was “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
