LONDON, United Kingdom (CMC) — Nathan Dyer, the Swansea City winger once courted by Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz, has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 33.

The United Kingdom-born, five-foot, four-inch former Southampton trainee, who is of Jamaican descent, spent 11 of his 15 years in the game with English Championship winner Swansea, joining them first on loan in January 2009 before making a permanent move the following July.

He was chased by the Jamaica Football Federation ahead of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers but made himself unavailable.

Dyer played more than 250 games for the Welsh outfit, helping them win the League Cup in 2013 – a 5-0 victory over Bradford City, whose team included Bermudian striker Nahki Wells – after gaining Premier League promotion in 2011, before being relegated back to the second tier at the end of the 2017-18 season.

“It’s the right time for me to announce my retirement from football,” said Dyer, who won the Premier League with Leicester City while on loan during the 2015-16 season.

“I have had a lot of thought about it over the last couple of months, and I think it’s the best decision for me to step away from playing.”

Dyer last played for Swansea on March 7, 2020, the last game before the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, and his contract ran out later in the season.

He has since been on a training contract with the Championship club, which has now expired.

Dyer confirmed he would not go into coaching, but would look to “be a mentor for the younger generation coming through” instead.

And following a full professional career, he said he was anxiously looking forward to life without the regiment of football.

“I’m Jamaican as well so all of that rice and peas and chicken is going to go down lovely for me,” Dyer joked about his new diet.