On august 2021
This August 23, Carlos Cuéllar turns 40. A round figure that has reached when the date of his retirement is still close, after more than 500 games as a professional footballer.
Most of the life of the former Madrid central defender has revolved around a ball. From his beginnings in modest teams from Madrid, through the first great leap of his career (arrival at Numancia in 2000), successes with Osasuna and Rangers, landing in the Premier League in 2008 or the latest experiences in Israeli football.
In Osasuna he starred in some of the greatest achievements in the history of the Navarrese team: finalist of the Copa del Rey in 2005, qualification for the 2006/07 Champions League and semi-finalist of the UEFA Cup in 2007. The signing for the Rangers ushered in a new successful phase in his career. In just one campaign with the Glasgow club (2007/08) he won two titles (League Cup and Scottish Cup), played in the UEFA Cup final and was distinguished with the 'Scottish Premier League Player of the Year' and the 'Scottish Football Writers Association's Player of the Year' awards.
To put an end to an 18-year carrer hasn’t been easy, but this special tribute from my family, friends and all of your well wishes has made the decision much more simple. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 😃❤ pic.twitter.com/wfxRsgw2xe
— Carlos Cuellar (@Cuellar24) October 17, 2019
During his career in English football he was about to lift a new trophy. He was left at the gates with Aston Villa (2010 League Cup finalist) and Sunderland (2014 League Cup finalist). In 2015, with Norwich, he achieved a promotion to the Premier League. That was his penultimate big hit. The final touch would come in May 2019, when he won the State of Israel Cup with the Bnei Yehuda jersey. Months later, in October, he announced his retirement with a beautiful farewell act in Tetuán, the Madrid neighborhood where he kicked a ball for the first time.