Former Forest Green Rovers captain Aarran Racine has today announced his retirement from football at the age of 32.
The centre-half had most recently turned out for National League South side Worthing, where he was also the club captain. Racine first joined the Sussex-based club in 2017 and would make 139 appearances as well as scoring nine times in the process.
Those numbers would no doubt have been far higher had the defender not been plagued with injuries throughout his career with both the Rebels as well as with Forest Green Rovers.
Although Racine will go down as a club legend at Worthing, he is perhaps most well-known for his spell with the now League Two side. The 32-year-old would make 119 appearances for the Green during a five-year stint with the club and would most notably captain the side in the 2016 National League Play-Off final at Wembley which they would lose to Grimsby Town.
Racine would’ve made plenty more appearances for the club, but as previously mentioned, injuries would hold the defender back throughout his career. Suffering an ACL injury on four seperate occasions, most recently in October, the defender has decided that now is the right time to hang up his boots.
Having originally joined the Rebels in a coaching capacity, Racine now leaves to embark on a new venture in football, utilising his coaching background for youth fitness classes.
Speaking to Worthing’s official website, the defender stated why he decided now was the time to call it a day on his playing career.
“I think there are other priorities in my life now that I think need to take a front seat and sort of park the bus on this part of my life.”
“I would love to stay and coach in some capacity, whether it be now or in the near future. I did want to get involved with the youth teams here but it doesn’t quite fit with what days they train and family commitments at home. But, I don’t think I’ll rule that out and I think at some point I’ll get back into it in some capacity.”
Racine also fondly looked back at his time with Forest Green Rovers.
“Obviously walking out at Wembley as captain was a big moment for me,unfortunately we lost the game but it’s something I look back on and cherish those moments.”
Writer’s View
There are very few players who have had such an unlucky time with injuries as Racine. He would’ve no doubt played in the EFL for the Green had it not been injuries, yet still has played a huge part in the history of the club.
It seems likely that he will return to coaching at some point and it wouldn’t be surprising if that was at Worthing. Either way, it makes sense that now is the time the defender calls it a day, as his repetitive ACL injuries would’ve no doubt had quite an impact on his wellbeing and overall health in recent years.
