Sigmund to retire at end of Phoenix season

Ben Sigmund. Photo / File.

Wellington Phoenix stalwart Ben Sigmund will retire from professional football at the end of the current A-League season.

The former All Whites defender made the announcement after Phoenix training at Westpac Stadium today.

Sigmund joined the club at the start of the 2008/09 season and has played 174 A-League matches, behind only fellow defenders Andrew Durante and Manny Muscat on the Phoenix's all-time appearance list.

Sigmund was named the Phoenix's Player of the Year for the 2010/11 season, and the following season, he not only became the first player to win back-to-back Player of the Year awards, but won the media, supporters, and player's player of the year prizes too.

In September last year, Sigmund called time on his international career as he looked to extend his time in a Phoenix shirt. He played 32 full internationals for New Zealand, most recently against Japan in March 2014 and was part of the All Whites squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Over his eight years at the Phoenix, Sigmund has forged a reputation as one of the A-League's most committed and effective defenders. But it hasn't all been plain sailing; when he arrived at the club in mid-2008, he wasn't even allowed to join the first-team squad. Instead, he was put through a rigorous fitness regime to drop some weight and lift his aerobic capacity.

Sigmund debuted off the bench in a 0-0 home draw against Central Coast in September 2008 and made 15 appearances in his first A-League season. The following season he vied with Jon McKain to partner Durante in central defence and from the 2010/11 campaign onwards, has been practically an ever-present in the starting side.

Injuries have hampered Sigmund's recent participation in the A-League season, and he'll miss tomorrow night's home clash against Sydney FC with an ongoing hip injury.