RICHIE Partridge has been forced to hang up his boots after failing to recover from a persistent knee injury.
The popular TNS wingman played his last competitive game for the club in the away Europa League defeat at Midtjylland last month.
A former Liverpool trainee and Irish Under-21 international, the 30-year-old joined the Saints a year ago and made an immediate impact, scoring 11 goals from 26 Welsh Premier appearances last season.
Partridge made three League Cup appearances during an injury-strewn four years at Liverpool and subsequently made 154 Football League appearances at Bristol Rovers, Coventry City - where he was voted fans' player of the season - Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham, Chester City, MK Dons and Stockport County, where he was released at the end of August 2010.
"Richie's injury unfortunately has brought his career to an end, which is bad news for him and for the club," says The New Saints' director of football Mike Davies.
"We would like to thank Richie for his time with TNS and wish him every success in the future."