16:25:00
Former Italy international Francesco Totti has confirmed his retirement from professional football.
Totti, 40, who made the announcement in an interview on Roma's official website on Monday, is expected to take up a director's role with the Rome-based club.
"The end of my playing career was May 28, 2017. That for me was an historic day," Totti said.
"I'll carry it with me forever. It will be hard to explain to people the feelings and emotions I felt that day.
"The first part of my life, as a player, has ended but now I'm heading into an equally important part as a manager, hoping to do as well as I did on the field."
"I never wanted that game to end, that day to end. For me it was too important, too significant, too exciting.
"The game has given me so much and I tried to give so much back to the people who have showed me so much love day after day.
"Now I'll try to make myself available at all 360 degrees, from the youth team to the president. It might take six months, a year, two years… I don't know how long it will take to find the role I prefer."
Totti made his debut as a 16-year-old in 1993 and won the Scudetto once, in 2001.
His final appearance for Roma was as a substitute in a 3-2 league win over Genoa at the Rome Olympic Stadium.
Totti, who is Roma's all-time leading goalscorer with 307 in all competitions, was in the Italian squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
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