Former United States men's national team player Oguchi Onyewu announced his retirement on Monday in a post on his official Instagram account.
"From a lanky kid growing up in Olney MD, to playing for some of the greatest clubs in the world... this sport gave me so much! #Blessed #BeginningAndEnding"
Onyewu, 36, earned 69 caps for the national team and was a member of the 2006 and 2010 World Cup teams. He scored six international goals, making his first national team appearance in 2004 and his last in 2014. The U.S. national team's Twitter account also showed their appreciation for Onyewu once his retirement was confirmed.
The towering central defender spent most of his professional career in Europe before playing for Major League Soccer's Philadelphia Union in 2017, scoring one goal in 22 games. Prior to that, Onyewu spent time at Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers, Charlton Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday in England, five seasons at Standard Liege in Belgium, two seasons under contract at Milan and FC Twente in the Netherlands, among other clubs.
Onyewu was the 2006 U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year.