Quito (Ecuador), May 13 (IANS) Former Manchester United and Ecuador player Antonio Valencia on Thursday announced his retirement from football because of chronic knee problems.

The 35-year-old Valencia made the decision after playing just 15 matches in almost six months for Mexican side Queretaro.

"It is a tough decision. I feel mentally strong, I feel good, but there is something that is not right with my body, and that's my knee," he told a virtual news conference, Xinhua reports.

"It is time to say thanks to this beautiful sport. If I've let anybody down, I apologise. I've always tried to give my all for my country."

Valencia was capped 99 times for Ecuador's national team in a career that included a decade at Manchester United as well as spells with Villarreal, Wigan Athletic and LDU Quito, among other clubs.

--IANS rkm/kh