Thursday 30 August 2018, 14:55

Schelin hangs up her boots

  • Lotta Schelin retires from football

  • All-time goalscorer for Swedish women's national team

  • "I'm proud to have represented all of you"

Sweden women's national team's all-time top goalscorer Lotta Schelin has announced her retirement from football.

Speaking in a news conference, the 34-year-old said: "It has been a tough year and it is still tough."

Schelin's former team-mate Therese Sjogran and her former coach Marika Domanski Lyfors joined her at the press conference.

"We had big plans. I wish you had won the gold that you came home to do. It's over today. But I'm absolutely convinced that we will work together in the future," Sjogran said.

"Fourteen years ago I called Lotta when we played at the Algarve Cup with the U-23 team," Lyfords said. "She did not think it was true that she would be allowed to join. I'm incredibly proud that I was a part of Lotta's amazing career. She has been an icon and has meant incredibly much for Swedish football."

"She is a leader. We have not had as many players like Lotta before."

Schelin represented Sweden 185 times, which is the second-most of all time for the Swedish team behind Sjogran, and she scored a record 88 goals during her career with the national team.

At club level, Schelin was hugely successful, too. She won three UEFA Women's Champions League titles, eight league titles and five Coupe de France trophies during her time with Olympique Lyon, not to mention successes with Swedish clubs Goteborg and Rosengard.