Barclays Women’s Super League and Welsh international legend Natasha Harding has announced her retirement at the age of 34.
The player made her announcement this morning via a post on her personal Twitter account.
Harding has enjoyed a 16-year senior playing career. The player started out with Cardiff City Ladies in 2007. She spent five years with the Welsh club before moving to Bristol Academy. Since moving to Bristol, Harding has remained in the English game ever since. She has gone on to feature for Manchester City, Liverpool, Reading and Aston Villa.
It was with Reading where Harding made the biggest impact. She made 83 appearances in the Barclays Women’s Super League for The Royals, scoring four goals. The player also claimed the captain’s armband during her time at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
On the international stage, Harding represented the Welsh national team on 103 occasions while she scored 26 goals for her country. The player is one of the all-time highest appearance-makers for The Red Dragons.
Harding spent the final year of her career with Aston Villa. Her campaign was prematurely ended by a ruptured quad tendon. The player overcame that injury but she has determined that the time is right to hang up her boots.
It is fair to say that Harding goes down in the history books as a true legend of the game both at club and international level.