The Kiwi international is second only to Besart Berisha in the league’s all-time scoring charts, with a total of 92 goals in 190 appearances.

The 36-year-old Kiwi announced he was hanging up his boots on Instagram, admitting it was hard to sum up a career littered with so many highs.

A coaching career now awaits.

“It’s difficult to put a career into words,” he said.

“The time comes to us all and I guess I know the right time is now for me to announce my retirement from professional football.

“I feel blessed to have had an 18 year career that’s made me who I am today! What a ride … ups and downs, boyhood dreams coming true from World Cup, Olympics, playing against the world’s best and too many goals for one bag to carry!”

 

It’s difficult to put a career into words. The time comes to us all & I guess I know the right time is now for me to announce my retirement from professional football. I feel blessed to have had an 18 year career that’s made me who I am today! What a ride .. ups & downs, boyhood dreams coming true from World Cup, Olympics, playing against the worlds best & too many goals for one bag to carry! ⚽️�� The friendships along the way are priceless & I would love to thank everyone who’s been a part of my career (too many to mention) every club, every teammate & every fan that’s seen the journey. I want to thank my mum & dad for their support from the very start and special mention to my amazing wife & kids .. without them this all wouldn’t have been possible! Now that I’ve closed the door on my playing days I’m looking forward to taking every bit of experience & knowledge I’ve gained into my next chapter and I’m pleased to say I will be staying in the game that I love until I stop breathing 🙌🏼⚽️ thanks to @pineyzb for great write up- link in comments 👍🏼

A post shared by SHANE SMELTZ (@shane.smeltz) on

 

Smeltz paid tribute to the friends he had made along the way, his family, former clubs and teammates and the fans. “I’m pleased to say I will be staying in the game that I love until I stop breathing.”