Swansea and Wales’ Allen could retire at end of season

Southampton vs. Swansea City FA Cup Third Round

Midfielder Joe Allen of Swansea City and Wales has indicated that he may decide to leave the sport at the end of the current season.

Allen, 34, rejoined Swansea in July 2022 after spells at Liverpool and Stoke City.

His current two-year contract expires at the end of the 2024-2020 campaign, and he claims injuries will affect his decision to stay.

Any player at this stage of their career, Allen said when asked about retiring, “I personally think about it a lot. I’m sure any player always has done it.”

“What will happen I couldn’t tell you. I’m sure there will be a discussion between the club and I at some point, probably toward the end of the season.

It really depends on how things turn out in the coming months. Potentially, I could carry on if I stay healthy, can contribute to the team, and can maintain a certain level of performance.

Allen has been struggling with injuries since making his league debut at Swansea in 2007 with the club he joined.

Allen, who has been sidelined since early December, scored a late equaliser for Swansea at home to West Brom last Saturday.

“Great to be back out there. In preparation for his side’s FA Cup third round tie against struggling Southampton on Sunday, Allen claimed that his side had a minor injury that was unrelated.

“Unfortunately, you end up losing more than you’d expect because the games are getting bigger and faster,” says the author.

I was anticipating returning to the squad and playing on the field. Since I was able to maintain my fitness for a while, it almost happened out of nowhere.

Swansea are currently 12th in the Championship, six points off the top six spots.

Having played for Swansea in the Premier League, Allen says securing a return to English football’s top-flight is what Luke Williams’s team are aiming for.

“We have a fantastic end to the season and are in the play-offs,” Allen continued.

“We’re all here to try and reach the Premier League.

After leaving Wales after the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar, Allen reconnected with the international scene under the direction of Craig Bellamy in September.

In a group that includes Belgium, North Macedonia, and Liechtenstein, Wales will host Kazakhstan in March as part of their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

” I think it wasn’t a surprise when we were drawn against them]Belgium] once again, “Allen said.

” I’m sure they’re sick of coming to play against us. A top team for sure.

“We’ve talked about them enough over the years, but they’ve also had some history in recent years, which should hopefully inspire us to turn things around.”

” With the rest of the group, we’ll see how it goes.

“We’ve got to make sure we hit the ground running, confidence is high in the camp. Let’s see what happens.