Willie Boland has retired from professional football at the age of 34 following an unsuccessful battle against a knee injury.
Pools veteran is beaten by knee injury
Willie Boland has retired from professional football at the age of 34 following an unsuccessful battle against a knee injury.
Boland signed for Hartlepool in August 2006 and was a regular in the centre of midfield before sustaining the problem in the home clash with Stockport in August 2008.
He had been working hard to overcome the injury at Lilleshall, but after a recent meeting with a specialist it was decided best to call time on his playing career.
Hartlepool director of sport Chris Turner told the club's official website: "I am very disappointed for Willie that he is having to curtail his career earlier than he would have liked.
"He has been an excellent servant to football and in a relatively short space of time he has shown his undoubted quality here at Hartlepool.
"His attitude both on and off the pitch and his professionalism was first class and he will be a major loss to us because he was a very good player prior to this injury. He leaves with our very best wishes and I'm sure he still has a lot to offer the game if he wants to continue his involvement in some other way."