Ex-West Ham top scorer who ‘left £200k Lambo when he quit club’ announces shock retirement after ‘suffering huge pain’
FORMER West Ham star Diafra Sakho has retired aged 33 after “suffering huge pain” from a back injury.
The Senegal international was the Hammers’ top scorer nine years ago, with 12 goals in 26 games.
A £4million buy from French club Metz in 2014, Sakho spent four Premier League seasons in East London.
He departed in 2018 but remarkably left his £200,000 Lamborghini at the training ground after quitting.
As well as leaving an orange Lamborghini behind in East London, he also crashed one in Hornchurch, Essex, in 2016.
He left for Rennes and went on to play for clubs in Turkey, Switzerland and Djibouti.
Sakho joined French third-tier side AS Nancy-Lorraine last summer, and is under contract until 2024.
But the striker told Senegalese TV channel RTS: “I have a year left on my contract with Nancy, but I have decided to end my playing career.
“I have had a lot of physical problems and injuries. I need to discuss matters with the club.
“My back injury makes me suffer a great deal. Maybe other people can’t see this.
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“But I am suffering huge pain. I don’t want to take the club’s money and then spend six months without playing.
“That doesn’t motivate me, and this is why I have taken the decision to stop.”
Sakho won 12 caps for Senegal’s Teranga Lions, scoring twice.
He hit 24 goals in 71 West Ham appearances, but had disappointing spells with Rennes, Turks Bursaspor and Swiss side Neuchatel Xamax.
To widespread surprise he then moved to African football backwater Djibouti, playing alongside ex-Arsenal and Hammers ace Alex Song for Arta/Solar 7.