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Yakubu Aiyegbeni has this morning announced his retirement from football - bringing an end to a long and illustrious career.

The 35-year-old's last club was Coventry City where he made three appearances, but Everton fans will certainly remember him best for banging in goals at Goodison Park.

The former Nigeria international became the Blues' record signing when he joined for £11.25 million in August 2007 and went on to score 21 goals in all competitions for the club - becoming the first Everton player to get over 20 goals in a single campaign since Peter Beardsley.

The striker had some great moments in his time at the club, and we've had a look at five of the best...

His debut

Instantly becoming the record-signing for your new club could be enough to put a lot of pressure on a new striker's shoulders.

Not Yakubu.

The Nigerian international was given his Everton debut away to Bolton Wanderers on 1 September 2007, playing up front with previous record-signing Andy Johnson.

And just 11 minutes in, the latter squared the ball across the box, Yakubu lost his man and slotted the ball home.

What a away to start your career at a new club.

Punishing the Hammers

Back in December 2007, Everton had two matches in four days down at Upton park against West Ham - one in the Premier League and one in the League Cup.

This was back before there was such a rivalry between the Hammers and the Blues, but away days down there were fantastic nonetheless.

Anyway, it's the League Cup match we're focusing on here - which was heading towards a 1-1 draw thanks to goals from Carlton Cole and Leon Osman.

However, there was Yakubu to break West Ham hearts in the 88th minute of the match, taking advantage of a horrendous mix-up in the defence to send the Blues in to a semi-final tie against Chelsea.

The Brann hat-trick

Well, it's actually one specific moment of this hat-trick.

This was a very comfortable UEFA Cup tie for Everton back in 2008 against SK Brann, with the Blues hammering the Norwegian side 8-1 on aggregate to set up THAT tie against Fiorentina.

The second leg at Goodison was a 6-1 rout, with Yakubu bagging himself a hat-trick.

(Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

But it was the second goal that caught the eye, with a delightful fake-shot sending two defenders sending to the shops before casually stroking the ball home.

Magic.

The Portsmouth goal

Arguably one of the best quality goals that the striker scored in his Everton career.

Having already given the Blues the lead in the first minute of the match against former club Portsmouth at home, Yakubu saved his best for later on in the game.

After Jermain Defoe had equalised for the visitors and Tim Cahill had given Everton the lead once more - Yakubu sealed the victory with nine minutes of normal time to go.

(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Picking the ball up out wide and close to the byline, the striker brilliantly dribbled his way in to the box and rifled the ball past David James and almost smashed the TV camera behind the net.

What a strike.

THAT Meireles block

Cast your minds all the way back to 2010 for this one...

It's the Merseyside derby, Roy Hodgson is in charge of Liverpool, and Everton had only won one of their previous seven matches to start the season.

Of course, the Blues won the match thanks to strikes from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta, but on moment from Yakubu tends to stick in the mind.

With the ball running a little loose on the halfway line, Liverpool midfielder Raul Meireles tried to nick the ball away from the Nigerian international - only for the striker to send him crashing to the floor with a brilliant shoulder charge.

You could argue the Blues have been missing that kind of aggression in recent derbies...