Spurs striker announces retirement plans | OneFootball

Tottenham Hotspur striker Fernando Llorente has revealed he hopes to retire at former club Athletic Bilbao.

Llorente’s Spurs contract is due to expire this summer and he was heavily linked with a return to Bilbao in January.

However, Harry Kane’s ankle injury meant the 34-year-old was forced to stay in north London, and he has since chipped in with important goals against the likes of Watford and Borussia Dortmund.

The World Cup winner recently admitted that he’d like to stay with the Lilywhites beyond the end of this season, but he says he is also hoping to retire at the club where he made his name.

“There was a lot of talk about my possible departure to Athletic but seeing the injuries that Tottenham had, I knew it would be complicated,” the Spaniard told Radio MARCA.

“It would be nice to retire at Athletic.”

Mauricio Pochettino’s side already have one foot in the Champions League quarter-final following their 3-0 first leg victory over Dortmund, and Llorente says he’s worried about the prospect of facing reigning champions Real Madrid later in the competition.

“There is a lot of equality in the Champions League and anything can happen in every game, all the teams are a bit favourite but in recent years the one that has been the big favourite is Real Madrid,” he added.

“When the important matches come they bring out the best in themselves, we’ll have to see what happens.”