Yakubu retires aged 35: Ex-Everton, Portsmouth and Middlesbrough ace calls it quits after 20-year career
Nigerian ace calls it a day, on his 35th birthday, after last turning out for League One side Coventry City earlier this year
EX-Portsmouth, Everton and Middlesbrough striker Yakubu has retired following a 20-year career.
The Nigerian forward has hung up his boots, on his 35th birthday, after last turning out for League One side Coventry City earlier this year.
Yakubu earned 57 caps for Nigeria and also played for the likes of Blackburn, Leicester and Reading.
The former Premier League star kicked-off his professional career in 1997, in his native Nigeria - playing for Julius Berger.
He made his move to Europe when he joined Israeli club Maccabi Haifa in 1998 - where he spent five seasons.
Yakubu was incredibly on the brink of a move to Derby in 2002 - after scoring 13 goals in 22 games in the 2001-02 season.
However, the Rams were unable to obtain a work permit for the forward and he ended up staying in Israel.
"The Yak" finally bagged his move to the big-time in 2003, when he signed for then-Prem side Portsmouth.
He joined following a brief loan stint where he helped the South coast side win the Championship.
He would spend two seasons at Pompey, scoring 29 times in 65 league games, before moving to Middlesbrough.
Yakubu's career league stats and trophy cabinet
Games: 381
Goals: 142
Israeli top-flight: 2000-01, 2001-02
Championship: 2002-03
The Nigerian ace - well-known for his brutal power - scoring 25 times in the league for Boro before he moved to Everton for a four-year tenure.
Yakubu netted another 25 goals at Goodison Park to take his Premier League tally to 95 - making him the second-highest scoring African footballer in the league's history.
After a brief loan spell at Leicester, Yakubu moved to Blackburn for one season in 2011-12, scoring 17 times in 30 games before he became one of the first star names to take his talent to China.
The 21-goal Nigeria international spent one season at Guangzhou R&F before joining Qatari side Al-Rayyan - now managed by Michael Laudrup - in 2014.
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A seven-game stint at Reading following in 2015, where he scored one goal, before he headed to Turkey to join Kayserispor - scoring zero goals in 12 games.
Ultimately, journeyman Yakubu's career ground to a halt as injuries decimated his time at League One side Coventry earlier this year.
His contract was terminated by mutual consent after a severe hamstring injury limited him to just three league games.
Now, on the day of his 35th birthday, Yakubu has opted to call it quits.