Former Watford player of the season Sebastian Prodl has retired from professional football.

The 34-year-old centre-half moved from Werder Bremen to join the Hornets in 2015 following their promotion to the Premier League and went on to make more than 70 appearances, winning the club’s leading player accolade in 2016-17 campaign.

Announcing his retirement on Instagram, Prodl said: “Time to say goodbye and start a new chapter.

“Dear Football, thank you for an exciting, emotional, happy and beautiful journey as a football player. I’m very grateful for the support from my wife, my family, my friends, my coaches, my fans and everyone that accompanied me along the way. It’s been an amazing time.”

Prodl, who started his senior career at Sturm Graz, won 73 international caps for Austria, playing in two European Championships.