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Liverpool goalkeeper Alex Manninger announces his retirement

Liverpool's back-up goalkeeper Alex Manninger has said he will retire from football when his contract expires in the summer.

Manninger, 39, will call time on a 22-year career that has featured spells in England, Spain, Italy and Germany as well as 34 international appearances for Austria.

He signed a one-year deal with Liverpool in July but did not make any competitive appearances for Liverpool.

"It's true that I've made the decision to retire," he told the club's official website.

"I thought about it a couple of months ago and I was keen to decide myself, not wait again for the summer and whether I receive a phone call or not.

"I tried to listen to myself, to my body, and then I said: 'No, that's enough.'

"I feel good. I finished at a high level I never dreamed of. If I played for big clubs at my peak, that's one thing, but to have had this experience now with the staff, coaches and players of Liverpool is fantastic.

"I've had one of the greatest experiences in my career here, but it is time."

Manninger made 64 appearances for Arsenal between 1997 and 2002, helping the Gunners secure the Double in 1998 after excelling when he stepped in for the injured David Seaman.

He then spent several years in Spain and Italy, including a spell with Juventus.