Former players: it’s over for Moreira !

Victim of recurring knee injuries since a year and a half, Daniel Moreira decided to bring his career to an end. On Friday, the former Rennes forward played his final training session, before his team-mates at US Boulogne formed a guard of honour at the end of the session.

«I’m simply not able to play football at the highest level anymore, he affirmed to L’Équipe on Saturday. If I’m not 100% fit, there is no point going on”. In view of the future, the player affirmed he had been in touch with Lens president Gervais Martel about a possible reconversion in Lens.

Capped with France three times, Moreira had lived the best moments of his career with the “Sang et Or”, playing in the Champions League and winning the Coupe de la Ligue in 1999. After a good spell in Toulouse, he was recruited by Stade Rennes in 2006.

His experience in Rennes was catastrophic: In nearly 50 games played, he failed to score a single goal, and was soon labelled for his inefficiency. Left on the bench by Briand’s emergence during his first season, Moreira was then left on the side lines by a broken fibula, from July to November 2007. The following season, he revived on loan at Grenoble, and profited of any occasion to express his resentment against Stade Rennes.

Mid-August 2009, after long weeks of uncertainty, he was transferred to US Boulogne, just promoted to Ligue 1 and seeking experienced players. With his new club, he would only play very little, handicapped by more injuries. Six Ligue 1 games in 2009-2010 and seven Ligue 2 games in 2010-2011 finally marked the end of fifteen years long career, started with Valenciennes in 1995.