FORMER Middlesbrough, Darlington and Hartlepool United midfielder Jason Kennedy has announced his retirement from football.

Kennedy, who has opted to hang up his boots after recently turning 38, made more than 550 senior appearances during a well-travelled career that brought him considerable success across the Football League.

Announcing his retirement with a post on X, formerly Twitter, Kennedy said: “After taking some time to reflect on my career, I’d just like to say a massive thank you to my family, agent, clubs, managers, coaches, players & fans. Without your support I couldn’t have lived my dream. You helped provide me with the best memories. Thank you.”

Born in Norton, Kennedy began his career in the youth ranks of Middlesbrough. He made his senior professional debut for the Teessiders as a substitute in a 1-1 draw with Fulham in April 2005, and went on to make two starts and four more substitute appearances for the club.

Three of those Boro outings came in the UEFA Cup, with Kennedy featuring in matches against Dnipro, Litex Lovech and Stuttgart.

He left Boro for Darlington on loan in the second half of the 2007-08 season, scoring three goals in 15 appearances in League Two, and completed a permanent move to the Quakers in the summer of 2008.

He spent the 2008-09 season with Darlington, scoring six goals in 53 appearances in all competitions.

He then moved on to Rochdale, and also spent time with Bradford City and Carlisle United before heading to Hartlepool in 2019.

He spent two seasons with Pools, but only managed 19 senior outings before heading to Spennymoor Town.

He finished his playing career with Marske United in the Northern Premier League, but has now opted to step away from the game.