Friday 5 August 2016 11:16, UK
Former Fulham and Crystal Palace defender Brede Hangeland has announced his retirement from professional football.
The 35-year-old, who scored four goals in 91 appearances for Norway, made 238 appearances during his eight-year stay in London.
Spending the first five years of his senior career at Norwegian club Viking, the 6ft 6in centre back was signed by Fulham in 2008 after two years at Copenhagen.
Hangeland then moved to Crystal Palace in August 2014 on a free transfer and was released at the end of the 2015/16 season.
"I've thought long and hard about my footballing career and I've decided its my time to end it," he revealed exclusively on Sky Sports Now.
"I'm announcing my retirement after a long time, and half of that time in this lovely country."
And looking ahead to his career after football, Hangeland is optimist about what the future holds.
"You can choose to be sad that its over or be happy that it happened," he said. I feel so fortunate. I couldn't have dreamed of all the experiences and lessons in all the games I've played so its sad when it comes to an end.
"I think its important to know when the time is right to finish, and with the aches and pains, I'm 35-years old and I feel I can't do the job I want to do anymore so it's time to move on."
One of Hangeland's memorable Premier League moments was heading in a dramatic injury-time equaliser against Manchester United in October 2010 just five minutes after scoring an own goal to put United in front.
"We were playing Manchester United at home at Craven Cottage and there was me scoring a fine header, that was a lovely moment, back when I was good," he said.
"That made it 2-2 because this for me personally was a strange game because just before that I scored an own goal to make it 2-1 for Manchester United. A roller-coaster of a game for myself."
