Former Premier League cult hero Adel Taarabt has said football has given him 'amazing memories' as he announced his retirement at the age of 37.

Taarabt represented nine clubs during his career and most recently represented Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates top flight.

He represented three English clubs during his career, initially joining Tottenham as a teenager from French side Lens.

He is best remembered for his time at QPR, who he represented more than any other clubs during his career, while he also had a loan spell with Fulham. 

'I knew this day would come, the time has come to close this chapter,' Taarabt wrote on Instagram.

'Football has been such a big part of my life for so many years. It gave me amazing memories, let me meet incredible people and live moments I will never forget.

'I just want to say thank you to every club I played for, every coach, every teammate, every member of staff and of course every supporter who showed me love along the way.

'To every club I had the honour to represent, from Lens to Sharjah, thank you for being part of my story.

'Representing Morocco will always have a special place in my heart. 

'There were good moments, difficult moments, mistakes, great nights… everything. But that was my journey, and I wouldn’t change it.

'Alhamdulillah for everything.'

Taarabt was known for his skillful dribbling ability, with the attacking midfielder catching the eye during his 15 appearances at Tottenham.

He enjoyed a successful loan spell at QPR, which led to Taarabt signing permanently for the then Championship side.

Taarabt was named Championship Player of the Season in 2011 after scoring 19 goals and providing 21 assists to help Neil Warnock's side earn promotion to the Premier League as champions.

He spent a further two seasons at the club, making 164 appearances in total in which he scored 34 times, before loan spells at Fulham and AC Milan.

Taarabt left QPR on a permanent basis in 2015 to join Benfica and later Genoa on loan.

He was notably frozen out of the first-team set up at Benfica but memorably regained a place in  theside in an unexpected defensive midfield role having been known for his skill and unpredictable approach to the game.

The latter stages of his career saw Taarabt join Al-Nasr and Sharjah in the UAE.

Taarabt also represented Morocco 30 times, scoring four goals.