Former Hammer hangs up his boots

Former Hammer Pablo Zabaleta has confirmed he will be hanging up his boots in a Twitter message posted on Friday.

‘These have been wonderful years that gave me the opportunity to enjoy unique and unforgettable moments.

‘Forever I will thank all the people that shared the journey with me; clubs, teammates, coaches and in particular my family and all my friends.

‘With a lot of emotions I leave behind one of the best stages of my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’

Zabaleta departed after three seasons in which he made a total of 80 appearances, scoring a solitary goal in an FA Cup win at Gillingham in January 2020.

The former Argentina World Cup finalist arrived on a free transfer from Manchester City in the summer of 2017.  Unfortunately, an injury has prevented him from accepting the Club’s offer of a short-term extension until the end of the disrupted 2019/20 season.