MOSCOW, 18 Mar – Brazilian Lucas Leyva has announced his retirement from football due to heart problems.

He is 36 years old, in December, the midfielder was found to have scarring of the myocardium, which could be the result of myocarditis. Leiva’s last club was the Brazilian Gremio.

Leiva is a graduate of Gremio. He represented Liverpool for 10 years, with which he won the English League Cup, and also played for Lazio for five years, with which he won the Italian Cup and twice the country’s Super Cup. The midfielder made 24 appearances for Brazil from 2007 to 2013.