Japanese soccer star Ono Shinji has announced his retirement from competition after this season.

The former member of the national squad currently plays for Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo in the top J1 division of Japan's professional soccer league.

Ono wrote on his social media platform on his 44th birthday Wednesday that he decided to hang up his soccer shoes as a pro player after the current season. He said his feet, which had fought with him for 39 years, are telling him to give them a rest.

Ono is from the city of Numazu in Shizuoka Prefecture. He turned pro in 1998 as a member of Urawa Red Diamonds. He was selected as a member of the national squad when he was 18.

Ono played in three consecutive World Cup tournaments, starting with the one in France in 1998.

He took part in 56 games on the national team and scored 6 goals.

Known as a skilled midfielder, Ono also played for teams in other countries, including the Netherlands and Germany.

In Japan, he played for teams including Shimizu S-pulse and joined Consadole for the second time in 2021.

He was playing less and less in his team's games in recent years. He took part in only one J1 game last season and none so far this season.