Olivier Giroud reaches 40 on Wednesday with Lille still in his stride and one final professional season ahead of him. The striker has confirmed that he will retire when the campaign ends, bringing the curtain down on a career that has travelled from Montpellier to Arsenal, Chelsea, AC Milan and now the north of France.
A final season at Lille
- Giroud will celebrate his 40th birthday on Wednesday, joining the small group of active players still competing at that age.
- Despite ankle problems that have taken their toll over the years and a knee he admits is starting to creak, the Lille forward has remained available at the start of the season.
- He has played in each of Lille’s six fixtures in all competitions so far, including two starts.
- On 23 August, he scored Lille’s first goal of the season in a 2-0 win away to Angers.
- The former France international has now stated that this season will be his last before retirement.
A career measured in goals
Giroud leaves behind a long record at club and international level. He began his rise at Montpellier before moving through major European clubs in England and Italy, winning major honours along the way.
For France, he collected 137 caps and scored 57 goals. Even at 40, he has the chance to add further landmarks during his closing months in Ligue 1, with Lille still able to call on a centre-forward whose physical battle with time has not yet removed him from the matchday picture.
