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Ex-England Women Defender Laura Bassett Announces Football Retirement Aged 35

Former England women defender Laura Bassett has announced her retirement from football at the age of 35, praising the sport for allowing her to "project my real personality" and helping her to "understand who I am and what I stand for".

Having started her senior career at Coventry while still at school, Bassett has played for Birmingham, Arsenal, Leeds, Chelsea and Notts County, as well as two spells abroad in the United States and Australia.

She made her England debut in 2003 and was selected for five major tournaments, including Euro 2009, where the Lionesses were runners-up to Germany, and the 2015 World Cup that yielded a third place finish after victory over the same opposition in the third/fourth playoff.