Ellen White's open letter as striker announces her retirement

This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life but one that I know is the right decision for me. This decision has always been one I have wanted to make on MY terms. And this is MY time to say goodbye to football and watch the next generation shine.

It has been my greatest honour and privilege to play this game. In particular playing for England has and always will be the greatest gift. My dreams came true on the 31st of July, winning the EUROs and becoming a European champion.

I have been very lucky to have played for a number of teams in my career. It has been a huge honour to have represented some of the biggest clubs in England and to have worn the shirt and created some unbelievable memories. Thank you to all the clubs that have given me the opportunity to be a part of your football club.

Thank you to the managers who I have worked for. Your guidance, patience, knowledge and belief in me helped to give me the confidence to achieve my wildest dreams. The hours on and off the pitch do not go unnoticed and I am incredibly grateful and will always remember the good times.

To the medical teams I have had the privilege to work with, those who know me well know that I go at 100 miles an hour, all or nothing. But I hope you truly know how much I appreciate everything you have done for me to get me on the pitch and keep me on the pitch playing at the highest level.

To all the backroom staff, I hope you know how much you are appreciated, you all go above and beyond to ensure we as players were able to go out and play the game we love, so thank you.

Thank you to all the amazing teammates I have had over the years. I have been one of the luckiest players to have played alongside some of the greatest players this world has ever seen. It has been an absolute honour to train and play alongside you all. Thank you for pushing me every single day to be a better person and player. I will never forget what we achieved, and I am truly thankful to each and every one of you for making my dreams come true.

To my family and closest friends, wow, what can I say, I love you all so much. The support and love you have given me throughout my career cannot be written with enough words.

Mum and Dad, you have encouraged and supported me my whole career, I hope I have made you proud. Thank you for always believing in me and being my biggest supporters. I love you both so very much.

To the love of my life, my husband, what do you fancy doing next weekend? I'm pretty free :)

You are my inspiration, my rock, my sounding board, my biggest supporter. I can’t wait for what our future holds. Thank you, my love.

To the fans, thank you for your unwavering love of this beautiful game. I have been so honoured to have played professional football and to have had your incredible support, I will never forget the memories.

Thank you to my agent, you are truly one of a kind and I don’t think enough words could do justice to what you have done for me. You have gone above and beyond, and I am forever grateful for your love and support.

This is for the next generation and potentially the next lioness: you don’t have to be the best at something to make your dreams come true, just look at me. Hard work, dedication, passion and love for what you do are a great recipe. Don’t ever let someone tell you you can’t do something or achieve your dreams. I was once told I couldn’t play in the boys’ team and I would never play for England. Now I am retiring having made 113 caps with 52 goals for England and a European champion. Go out there and be the very best version of YOU!

Finally, let’s use the momentum from the EUROs win to make sure that EVERY young person in ALL communities has the opportunity to play and feel connected to ALL England football teams.

Enjoy every moment and always smile!

Thank you football…

All my love

Ellen xxx