The former England defender Wayne Bridge has retired from football after a season plagued by injury.

Bridge joined Reading last summer but played just 12 games for the Royals, sustaining a knee injury that required surgery in November and returning only in the final weeks of the campaign.

The 33-year-old left-back was a long-time deputy to Ashley Cole in the England team, winning 36 caps in an international career that ran from 2002 to 2009.

He announced the end of his England career before the 2010 World Cup, following newspaper allegations regarding his former girlfriend and his international team-mate John Terry. At the time, Bridge said his place in the squad was "untenable and potentially divisive".

Bridge's retirement was announced by his management company Icon Sports, who stated on Twitter: "Wayne Bridge has today announced his retirement from football. A career in which he won a premier league, fa cup, league cup and earn 36 England Caps. From all at Icon, we wish him very happy retirement."

Bridge began his career at Southampton, making his debut in 1998 and staying for five further years before spending five and a half years at Chelsea, where he became a Premier League champion in 2005.

He moved on to Manchester City in January 2009, going on to have loan spells with West Ham, Sunderland and Brighton before signing for Reading on a one-year deal.