Aston Villa Women can confirm Meaghan Sargeant has made the decision to end her playing career.
The central defender signed for the club in 2021, becoming one of the first additions made by Carla Ward.
Meaghan would go on to make 13 appearances during the 2021/22 campaign and featured during our season-ending fixture against Birmingham City at Villa Park.
However, the 29-year-old struggled with a recurring back problem that put an unfortunate stop to her involvement through our historic 2022/23 season.
Despite making the tough decision to call time on her playing career, Meaghan will remain at the club in an off-field role.
Sargeant said: "My time at Aston Villa has been challenging due to an ongoing injury, however being involved with such an amazing club and group of players has been incredible.
"Although my time has been very limited on-field, due to a reccurring back injury, it has been special for me to watch and be a part of such a talented group who have done so well this season and will undoubtedly continue to progress.
"Personally, it has been a very hard decision to announce my early retirement. I love football and I love being part of a team environment. I cannot thank Aston Villa enough for all the help and support they have given me during this very difficult period.
"Looking forward, I am extremely grateful that Aston Villa have given me a great opportunity to continue my development and career with an off-field role. I am extremely grateful and also excited to see where it takes me in the future.
"Thank you to the fans for all the support you have given me across the years, and thank you to all my team-mates and staff, past and present, for helping me fulfil a dream."
Aston Villa Women thanks Meaghan for her contributions towards our consolidation in the Barclays WSL and wishes her all the best in her new role.
