Stiliyan Petrov announced his retirement from football this morning and as a tribute to the Aston Villa captain and former Celtic skipper, here are some of his best career moments.
The 33-year old announced his decision to step down from the game in a hugely emotional and dignified statement on the Aston Villa website this morning, in which he detailed his battle against acute leukaemia and spoke of his desire to help others affected by the disease.
Petrov hasn’t played for the Villains since being diagnosed with the condition last year but he has not been forgotten by Aston Villa fans, who break into applause in the 19th minute of every game in honour of the Bulgarian, a gesture that is often reciprocated by supporters of other clubs when Villa play away from home.
A hugely popular figure in the game, Petrov also enjoyed distinguished spells with Celtic and CSKA Sofia during his career and won over 100 caps for the Bulgarian national team, many of them as captain.
We wish Petrov all the best in his retirement and as a tribute to the man, we’ve also taken a look back at some of his best career moments.
Celtic v Dundee
Celtic v Aberdeen
Aston Villa v Derby
Flying header, Bulgaria v Hungary
Reception in Villa Park, Aston Villa v Chelsea, March 2012
