Former West Ham United goalkeeper Adrián San Miguel has announced his retirement from professional soccer at the age of 39.
The keeper posted a video message on social media saying, "Hello Hammers, it's me, Adrián. Now that I have hung up my gloves, I want to say a big thank you. Thank you for taking me to the most competitive league in the world. Thank you for welcoming me to your wonderful city. For giving me two Londoners kids that remind me of you every day.
"Thank you for giving me confidence with that penalty. I took off my gloves for you. Thank you for pushing me so hard that I even scored a goal in Mark Noble’s testimonial. And I even wore the color of my country. Thank you for your support, which gives me courage for everything. These are not the best times, but soon you will be where you deserve to be. Thank you for making me a Hammer forever. Of course, I will always be one. No doubt about it — I am forever blowing bubbles."
West Ham fans will appreciate the memories that Adrián gave them. He touches on the recent relegation, which shows how invested he still is in the club.
Adrián was popular at West Ham
Adrián joined West Ham from Real Betis in 2013, and he went on to make 150 appearances for the Hammers in all competitions. He is remembered well for taking his gloves off before scoring the winner in a penalty shootout against Everton in the FA Cup.
The keeper surprised many by running outfield and scoring in Noble's testimonial match at Upton Park. Whilst with the Hammers, he was called up by Julen Lopetegui for Spain. However, he did not get on the field. He did represent Andalusia at an international level, though.
Łukasz Fabiański replaced Adrián as West Ham's number one. Therefore, the Spanish keeper left in 2019 and was linked with FC Porto. He wanted more game time, but a move to Liverpool was too good to turn down. This was despite his chances of playing for the Reds being limited. However, he did pick up a Premier League winners' medal at Anfield.
Adrián returned to Betis in 2024, and last season was his final campaign. It remains to be seen what he will do next. Maybe he could return to West Ham as a goalkeeping coach one day. He is certainly a character, so a position in the media as a pundit could be an option. Albeit, perhaps Adrián is too nice, and may not be up for grilling players on their performances.
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