Swansea City and Wales great Joe Allen to retire from football

Swansea City midfielder Joe Allen is to retire from football following Saturday’s home fixture against Oxford United.

The Swans and Wales great hangs up his boots at the end of a stellar career which has included two spells in SA1, as well as stints at Liverpool and Stoke City.

At international level Allen has won 77 caps, and represented Wales at three major tournaments. 

He was named in the Euro 2016 team of the tournament as Chris Coleman’s Dragons embarked on an unforgettable run to the semi-finals in France, and featured at the 2022 World Cup as Wales ended a 58-year wait to appear at the global showpiece.

Hailing from Narberth, Allen made his league debut for the Swans on the final day of the 2006-07 season against Blackpool, having already featured in the FAW Premier Cup while only 16 years of age.

He soon matured into a key player, scoring an iconic south Wales derby goal at Ninian Park in 2009 – his first for the club – and being an integral part of the team that secured promotion to the Premier League in 2011.

His mature, assured performances during the club’s maiden Premier League campaign saw manager Brendan Rodgers take him to Anfield with him in the summer of 2012, and Allen went agonisingly close to being a Premier League winner when they lost out to Manchester City in a thrilling title race two years later.

He would move to Stoke in 2016 following his fantastic showings at the Euros, and went on to spend six years in the Potteries before returning to his boyhood club in 2022.

While he has suffered injury problems since returning to SA1, Allen has remained an important figure for the Swans, and has added 77 appearances to his tally over the last three seasons, with the possibility of one more to come against Oxford this weekend.

Typically, he has been among the Swans’ stand-out performers during a strong end to the season, notably making key contributions in the draw against Leeds United and the win over Derby County. 

In total, to date, Allen has 230 Swansea appearances and 11 goals to his name.

While the man himself has always humbly shunned the spotlight and adulation, he will unquestionably go down as one of the finest players to play for Swansea City, and his status in the pantheon of greats of the Welsh national side is in no doubt.

For everyone connected with Swansea City, Joe will always be one of our own, but we know that so many of you within the Welsh football community will share our sentiment when we simply say; “Diolch Joe.”    

Everyone at the club thanks Joe for his years of service, and wishes him and his family well in his retirement.

Once a Jack, Always a Jack.