5 footballers who retired before the age of 30 

#4 Sebastian Deisler

Deisler (left) was hailed as the future of Germany

Sebastian Deisler was a very talented and special young German prospect. He was regarded as the future of German football and started off his professional career with Borussia Monchengladbach before making the switch to Hertha Berlin and then eventually to Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich.

Deisler spent five years at Bayern, where he played on the right wing and at times an attacking midfielder. He was regarded as the rising star of the Bundesliga but his career turned out to be shortlived and not particularly glorious as a series of knee injuries and cruciate ligament ruptures put the brakes on his development.

Apart from the injuries he suffered, Deisler also had mental issues to deal with and plunged into depression. When he returned from a long layoff, the Bayern man stated that he felt exhausted. Owing to the lack of confidence and the recurring knee injuries, he announced his retirement in January 2007 aged just 27.