Former Portsmouth, Millwall and MK Dons star announces retirement

At 38-years-old, the Irishman has decided to call it a day with Eastbourne Borough acting as his last club. Williams had signed with the National League outfit in September, but made just five appearances, and hadn't played for them since October.

His decision to retire brings to an end a 19-year playing career which saw him begin in the League of Ireland before spending the majority of his time in England across the second, third and fourth tiers. He played for nine clubs in total beginning with Drogheda United before having loan moves at Dundalk and Finn Harps. MK Dons brought him to England after a spell with Sporting Fingal, and he later turned out for Millwall, pompey, Gillingham, and Eastbourne.

Message to former clubs and supporters

‘After 19 incredible years in the game, I have made the difficult decision to retire from professional football,’ said Williams in a post shared on X.

‘It's one I've discussed at length with my family.

‘From the League of Ireland to the Championship, League One, and League Two. Captaining my hometown club in the Europa League, promotion at Wembley, winning the FAl Cup and to top it all off playing and scoring for Ireland are experiences I will treasure forever.

‘A huge thank you to all my incredible teammates, coaches, and staff for being such a big part of this journey. I'll forever be grateful for your support, the life long friendships I've made and of course all the laughs we've shared along the way.

‘Above all, to my wife, our two boys, and my family-your unwavering support and dedication to helping me live my dream is the reason I've had the career I've had. For that, I am forever grateful.’

‘Looking forward to and excited for my next chapter in football.’

Shaun Williams' career

The spell that will define his career the most is the seven years that he spent at the Den as a Millwall player. Williams amassed nearly 300 appearances for the club and was part of their promotion winning campaign in 2017, before asserting himself as a steady Championship midfielder.

Williams' time on the South Coast only lasted a season having arrived on a tree transfer in June 2021, becoming Danny Cowley's third signing as head coach. He would make 35 appearances in total with Pompey finishing in 10th in what was regarded as a disappointing campaign.

The former Drogheda United man established himself in the midfield but was also asked to fill in at centre-back, and was seen as one of the leaders in the side due to his experience. Unfortunately in January 2022, he fractured his spine after colliding with Clark Robertson, ruling him out for almost two months, and he then had to settle for being a bit-part player, and didn't play the final three games of his contract.

It was decided in the summer that his 12-month contract wouldn't be extended and that allowed him up to move to Gillingham, reuniting with Kenny Jackett who was their director of football.

Williams played for the Gills for two seasons, making a total of 64 appearances with three goals, helping them to 17th and 12th-placed finishes. At an international level he made three appearances for the Republic of Ireland senior team, making his debut in 2018 when he was contracted to Millwall.