Former Charlton Athletic defender Harry Lennon has been forced to retire from professional football at the age of 28, as per London News Online.
The defender has struggled to play this season after just one appearance with Wrexham in the National League and confirmed to the club he wishes to hang up his boots following a string of injuries.
He was an academy graduate of Charlton Athletic and went on to make 40 appearances, scoring twice for the club during that time before moving on.
Despite having the option of another year with Wrexham, the complications he has faced with injury have forced him to make the decision to retire from the game.
Career.
Lennon was a part of the academy with Charlton Athletic and signed his first professional deal with the club in 2012. A year later he would sign an extension that kept him with the club until 2016. He made his league debut in January 2014, however, he was unable to make an impact as they lost 3-0 to Doncaster Rovers.
In July 2014, he joined Cambridge United on loan, a deal that was meant to run until January 2015, but he was recalled to Charlton after just two appearances. He would find himself on another loan deal in November 2014, as he joined Gillingham on a youth loan deal, making his debut, he played a full 90 minutes for Gillingham in a 2-1 win over Colchester United.
Once again, he was bound to just two appearances with a loan club, as he returned to his parent club in January 2015. He would return for a month in October 2015, upon returning to Charlton in November he would sign a new two-and-a-half-year contract and became a regular in the side playing in the Championship.
He would make a move to Southend in 2018, where he would remain until 2021, before moving on to Wrexham.
Wrexham struggles.
Joining in 2021, he would not remain part of the side for very long, last season he played 17 games for the club before he had to undergo back surgery.
This surgery would prove to be something he struggled to bounce back from, as he has only featured twice for the club this season, his last appearance coming in the FA Cup exit to Championship side Sheffield United.
A number of other niggles proved too much for the defender as he confirmed he wished to hang up his boots, showing that possibly the 28-year-old felt it was too much to come back from.
What’s been said.
As part of their released/retained list, Wrexham included Harry Lennon’s name as part of a group of 11 players who would not be staying with the club.
In their statement, the club stated that the defender had expressed his desire to hang up his boots at the end of this season, rather than extend by a further year and continue his playing career.
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson discussed the defender’s decision to call time on his playing career.
‘We would also like to wish Harry Lennon the very best, following his decision to retire as a result of the injuries he has suffered.’
“One injury too many has just caught up with him and he’s taken the decision to retire from football.”
Writer’s View
It is always a sad day to see a player retire, but it is even sadder to see a player call time on their career early due to injury, especially at an age when they can still make a difference.
Nevertheless, it will not have been a decision that Lennon will have taken lightly and if he has come to it, it will be in his best interests.
It would be good to see Lennon back someday in football in some other role and who knows what the future holds for him.
