Ferrer to hang up boots

The Spanish international has fallen out-of-favour at Stamford Bridge this season and has not featured in the first team since December.

Ferrer's contract expires in the summer and he admitted he expects to hang up his boots to return to his native Spain.

"I am going to go back home, to Barcelona. At the moment I think I will stop football," Ferrer told Chelsea TV.

"I will not be going looking for another club. You never know what might happen and if someone offered me something then we will see.

"My first plan is to take a year off from everything and visit a lot of different places."

The former Spanish international joined The Blues in 1998 from Barcelona and made 113 appearances during his five years at Stamford Bridge.