Tommy Grav Retires

One of my favourite players from the early 00's has announced his retirement, Thomas Gravesen, retired from professional football today at age 32. Tommy has been without a club for the previous six months. He retired from the Danish national team in 2006 and was released from Glasgow Celtic last summer.



Walter Smith signed him for Everton in 2000 for £2.5m from Hamburg. Tommy made 142 appearnces for the Toffees and was pivotal for Everton during the 2004/05 season when the club finished 4th and qualified for the UEFA Champions League. He was a character on and off the field and became a crowd favourite at Goodison Park. He would always throw his fist in the air, as he was running over to take a corner. The fans loved it.

Tommy left Everton for Real Madrid in January 2005 for the same fee Everton had signed him for 5 years previously. He never really fitted in at the Bernabeu and was moved to Glasgow Celtic in August 2006. He returned to Everton on loan in the summer of 2007. He played just 8 times in his second spell at Goodison, coming on as a late sub against Newcastle in the last game of the 2007/08 season, which was to be his last professional appearance.