Brief Portsmouth favourite and ex-Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United and Bradford striker forced to retire aged 31

Caolan Lavery had been sidelined by a knee injury since March 2023 and, as of this summer, left without a club. Now he has retired upon medical advice.

The striker had previously spent an injury-hit 18 months at Doncaster, where he scored once in 12 matches, until his contract expired at the end of last season.

It’s awful news for Lavery, whose career sadly never hit the heights suggested when he breezed into Pompey under Paul Cook in October 2015 and became an instant favourite.

The Blues were second in League Two when he arrived on loan from Sheffield Wednesday -  and he proceeded to strike up an explosive partnership with another loanee in Marc McNulty.

The attacking double act totalled nine goals in nine appearances as Pompey maintained a promotion challenge in Cook’s first season in charge.

However, after four goals in 12 appearances, Lavery was recalled by the Owls in January 2016, much to the frustration of the Blues, who were unable to find a way to bring him back.

Instead Michael Smith was recruited on loan from Swindon, netting four times in 16 appearances and earning a permanent deal in the summer of 2016.

Lavery later played for Sheffield United, Rotherham (loan), Bury (loan), Walsall, Bradford, Scunthorpe and Doncaster, yet the bulk of his appearances came off the bench.

Now the Canadian has been forced to call it quits after a torrid time with injury.

In an announcement on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: ‘Well, the time has come for me to hang up my boots. Due to the knee injury I sustained back in February 2023, my surgeon has advised me to cease playing professional football.

‘I did everything in my power to try and get back to doing what I love. Thank you to everyone who has been there along the way.

‘The good times and the bad have made me into the person I am today. Good luck to all the boys with their upcoming season and careers.’

Lavery, a Northern Ireland under-21 international, started his career at Ipswich before moving to Sheffield Wednesday.

He later had loans at Southend, Plymouth, Chesterfield and then, in the 2015-16 campaign, with Pompey.

After being released by Bradford in the summer of 2022, Lavery dropped into the National League with Scunthorpe.

Yet a blistering nine goals in 19 outings saw him swiftly return to League Two just four months later, with Doncaster signing him for an undisclosed fee in January 2023.

However, injury struck and the talented striker has now been forced to retire.