April 06, (THEWILL) – Izzy Brown, a former Chelsea youth player, has announced his retirement from professional football at the young age of 26, due to injury.
Brown began his career at West Brom, where he became the second-youngest player in English Premier League history at just 16 years and 117 days. He went on to join Chelsea, winning two FA Youth Cups and the UEFA Youth League with the Blues.
The 26-year-old played on loan for several clubs, including Rotherham, Huddersfield, Leeds, Luton, Sheffield Wednesday, and Brighton in the top flight in 2017/2018. He was still under contract at Chelsea until 2021 and signed with Preston North End on a permanent deal.
However, he was unable to play a single game for the team after suffering a ruptured Achilles in pre-season, which ultimately ended his career after a long year of struggling from two Achilles tendon surgeries. He was released by Preston in May 2022 and played his last game as a professional footballer as a substitute for Sheffield Wednesday against Swansea in April 2021.
In a statement posted on social media, Brown expressed his sadness about the premature end of his football career. Brown’s announcement garnered widespread support and appreciation from the football community.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
