Former Newcastle star Davide Santon forced to retire aged 31 as he reveals ‘my body can’t handle it anymore’

EX-NEWCASTLE star Davide Santon has been "forced" retired from football aged 31, declaring "my body just can’t handle it anymore".

The Italian spent four years at St James' Park, making 94 appearances for the Toon and scoring just once.

Santon then returned to boyhood club Inter Milan in 2015, where he had won two Serie A titles and a Champions League before his move to Newcastle.

After three years at the San Siro, he moved onto Roma but only went on to make 54 appearances with injuries hampering his career, before leaving the Europa Conference League winners this summer.

Santon announced his retirement, saying "my body just can’t handle it anymore".

He told Tuttomercatoweb: "I am forced to hang up my boots. It’s not that I don’t have offers, but my body just can’t handle it anymore after so many injuries.

"I am forced to do this. I didn’t want to, but I have to.

"I had endless tests and consultations, but there was nothing to be done.

"I can still walk, but that’s not enough to be a professional athlete. If I kept pushing, I’d risk needing a prosthesis.

“The left knee is just gone. It stops me doing lots of things.

"The right knee, that had surgery three times, removing cartilage, the entire external meniscus, so as soon as I strain it even a little bit, it swells up and can’t bend.

“All my injuries really came from there, because if the right knee can’t bend, you put more strain on the left and the flexor.

"If you play one match, you risk being out of action for the next five.”