Joel Piroe reacts to big Swansea City, Joe Allen news | OneFootball

Joel Piroe has heaped praise on Joe Allen after it was announced the Swansea City midfielder would be retiring from football.

Leeds United’s Joel Piroe has heaped praise on ‘legend’ former Swansea City teammate Joe Allen after it was announced that the midfielder would be retiring from football.

The 35-year-old is set to hang up his boots after the Swans’ home game against Oxford United on Saturday, which will end a remarkable career that has seen Allen play over 650 games for club and country.

So, it promises to be an emotional day for the player and Swansea fans, with Allen a firm favourite at the club having had two spells with the Welsh side.

Joel Piroe reacts to Joe Allen retirement news

As you would expect, there were plenty of well-wishers following the update, which demonstrates the regard that Allen was held within the game.

And Piroe was among those to comment, as the Leeds forward took to his Instagram Story to send a message to his former teammate.

“Legend. It was a pleasure to share the pitch with you.”

Piroe had two full seasons with Swansea before he left for Elland Road, and the second campaign saw Allen return to the club.

That proved to be a productive year for Piroe, as he found the net 19 times for Swansea, as they recorded a 10th-placed finish in the Championship.

Joe Allen will be missed by Swansea City

Allen has had a fantastic career, which has included playing for Liverpool at the highest level, and he was a key component of the Wales national team that reached the semi-final of Euro 2016.

In total, he made 77 appearances for his country, and he was one of the players that helped transform Welsh football.

So, he will no doubt be proud of how his career has gone, which included six years at Stoke City, but it’s his association with Swansea that will be remembered most at club level.

After coming through the ranks, he was part of the squad that won promotion from League One, and he was hugely influential as they reached the Premier League under Brendan Rodgers, when they had a clear style of play and were a joy to watch.

That form saw him move to Anfield, but he returned to Swansea in 2022, and he has gone on to feature 77 times, which takes him to 230 appearances in total for the club.