​Former ​Everton and ​Middlesbrough striker Yakubu has announced his retirement on his 35th birthday, ​Sky Sports have reported.





The Nigerian international was without a club having left Coventry following a brief and unsuccessful spell with the League One club.





He picked up a hamstring injury late last season and saw his contract mutually terminated after featuring just twice.

Yakubu played for numerous clubs in England, first joining Portsmouth on loan while playing for Israeli club Maccabi Haifa.





He went on to play for the likes of ​Leicester, Blackburn, ​Reading and finally Coventry, after spells at Goodison Park and the Riverside Stadium.





Last month, Yakubu was pictured training in the gym with world heavyweight champion boxer Anthony Joshua at the Finchley and District Amateur Boxing Club.

Perhaps it's an indication that he could be set to pursue a switch of sports having confirmed the end of his footballing career.





Yakubu scored 21 goals in his 57 appearances for Nigeria after his debut in 2000, and remains the third highest ever international goalscorer for his country.

3 - Yakubu is one of only three teenagers to have scored a hat-trick in the Champions League (19y 306d for Maccabi Haifa v Olympiakos in 2002), alongside Wayne Rooney & Raúl. Retired. pic.twitter.com/MGbmrOIk2T — OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 22, 2017

His most fruitful spell in England's top flight was with Portsmouth, where he scored 28 goals across two seasons at Fratton Park.