Italian forward Luca Toni has announced that he will hang up his boots at the end of the season. The 2006 World Cup winner, currently plying his trade at Hellas Verona, made the announcement at a press conference earlier today.

The towering striker, who also enjoyed spells with the likes of Fiorentina, Bayern Munich and AS Roma in a glittering career said the following: "After many years in the game, 22 of which as a professional, I feel the time has come to retire. It was a difficult and tough decision, but I think it is right to stop. These past few weeks have been key: it is a mixture of joy and sadness, but I think it is right to bring my experience here at Hellas to an end versus Juve. We have had a bad season and mentally I can no longer go on."

As well as starring in the 2006 World Cup triumph with the Azzurri, Toni, set to turn 39 at the end of the month, can also lay claim to two capocannoniere awards. He has netted 323 goals as a pro and will be hoping to bow out in style when the Italian Champions visit the Bentegodi this weekend.