Reading have this afternoon confirmed that midfielder Brooke Chaplen has retired from playing after receiving medical advice.
The 33-year-old has been with The Royals for the best part of five years but her playing career has come to a premature end following a recent medical procedure.
A bone tumour was discovered in Chaplen’s right leg back in January and the player went under the surgeon’s knife in a bid to address the issue. The operation was successful, however, Chaplen has revealed that some knee ligaments have not fully healed and doctors have advised her against continuing her playing career.
Chaplen joined Reading from Sunderland back in 2017 and the player went on to score 25 goals in 94 appearances for The Royals. The midfielder has helped Reading to become a well-established member of the Barclays FA Women’s Super League and she will go down as one of the club’s legends.
Speaking following her announcement, Chaplen said “I’ve been here a long time, I feel like I’m part of the furniture. I have some great memories and feel that I really developed as a player here and that’s credit to the staff and the coaching staff for how much they invested in me.
“I can’t speak highly enough of the experiences that I have had and of the people that I have met here. I’ve been really fortunate to have enjoyed my time here and I can’t thank everybody enough for the support that I have had.”
Reading will pay tribute to Chaplen ahead of their final game of the season against Manchester City next weekend.
Reading FC Women can today confirm that midfielder Brooke Chaplen has retired from professional football.
Naturally, everyone at the club would like to sincerely thank Brooke for everything she has done during her time at Reading… pic.twitter.com/Gzk71VqQJ3
— Reading FC Women (@ReadingFCWomen) April 28, 2022