by - The 39-year-old striker has won a number of major awards at top clubs
- His statement was watched by 50,000 fans at his youth team’s grounds
- LISTEN NOW: Here we go! , available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
A former Arsenal star said a tearful farewell to his 21-year playing career after the final whistle blew during a testimonial game at his boyhood club.
The 39-year-old enjoyed two trophy-filled decades playing for numerous top clubs, including the Premier League giants, winning the Bundesliga, the FA Cup and the 2014 World Cup with Germany ten years ago.
Emotions ran high on Thursday evening when Lukas Podolski returned to Cologne, whose youth team he joined in 2003 and where he played 81 games before making his first major move to FC Bayern Munich.
After scoring for both Team Poldi and a Cologne team on the farewell evening, the striker then took to the microphone to give a farewell speech in which the player pledged his lifelong loyalty to the team.
“It’s over on the pitch now, but we will definitely see each other again off the pitch – whether in the stands or away,” said Podolski.
Lukas Podolski waved goodbye to the Cologne fans in Germany in tears on Thursday evening
The striker returned to his boyhood club for a testimonial game in which he scored for both sides
After stints at Cologne and Bayern Munich, Podolski (pictured in the middle) moved to Arsenal in 2012
“Once a Cologne fan, always a Cologne fan.”
“It really touches me that so many fans want to enjoy this special evening with me,” he told the 50,000-strong audience. “It is an honor to wear the goat on my chest again in front of a full house.”
“It is a final declaration of love for this special city, the club with its fantastic fans, my long-time teammates and other people who have accompanied my path.”
Numerous famous faces took part in the testimonial, including former German number 1 Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Per Mertesacker, Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick and former national coach Joachim Löw.
After two years at FC Bayern Munich, Podolski returned to Cologne before moving to Arsenal in 2012.
This was followed by a loan move to Inter Milan and stints at Galatasaray, Vissel Kobe and Antalyaspor before the Polish-born striker ended his career at Gornik Zabrze.
Among the more than 50,000 fans, Podolski waved a torch and celebrated as one of them
The German international won the World Cup in 2014 and is his country’s third-most capped player in history
Podolski’s side career was a breathtakingly lucrative kebab empire worth £180 million
Podolski had already retired from national team duty in 2017 and is still the player with the third most appearances in German history.
Aside from football, Podolski has been busy making a name for himself in a completely different area.
Mail Sport caught up with Podolski in June to discuss his £180million kebab empire, with the entrepreneur talking about building his business and possible plans to own a club – with Gornik Zabrze high on his list.
