JERUSALEM, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Israeli striker Eran Zahavi, twice the top scorer of the Chinese Super League (CSL), announced on Thursday that he is retiring from professional football at the age of 38.
Zahavi enjoyed a prolific spell with Guangzhou R&F in China from 2016 to 2020, topping the CSL's scoring charts in 2017 with 27 goals and breaking the league record in 2019 with 29 goals.
He then moved to PSV Eindhoven, where he spent two seasons, scoring 37 goals across all competitions and helping the club lift the 2022 Dutch Cup with a 2-1 win over Ajax Amsterdam in the final.
In the summer of 2022, Zahavi returned to Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv for three years, winning the Israeli Premier League in both of his last two seasons.
He had previously played three and a half seasons at Maccabi, guiding the club to three league titles and one state cup before moving to China.
Zahavi began his senior career in 2006 with Hapoel Tel Aviv, Maccabi's bitter rivals, winning a league title and two state cups.
In 2011, he moved to Serie A side Palermo, but after an unremarkable year and a half in Italy, he returned to Maccabi.
Over his entire career, he netted 438 goals, including 49 goals in European club competitions, and 35 goals in 74 appearances for Israel's national team.
"Thank you, my football, the first and greatest love of my life," Zahavi wrote on Instagram. "We say goodbye today on the grass, but it's definitely not forever."
The post included an extraordinary video in which Zahavi talks with an AI version of his child self, revisiting the start of his career while showcasing highlights from his journey. ■
