David Haye has announced his retirement from boxing and that he’s closing that chapter of his life.

His retirement from the ring is coming on the back of the 37-year-old’s last fight which was a heavyweight rematch loss to compatriot Tony Bellew, having also lost their first match in March 2017.

The Briton hangs up his gloves with a career record of just four defeats in 32 fights.

He disclosed his retirement decision via a statement as he said that he was “ready to close this chapter in my life” but “this is not the end of my story – it’s simply the start of something new”.

The British boxer became European cruiserweight champion and then won the WBC, WBO and WBA world titles before stepping up to the heavyweight division where he defeated Nikolay Valuev of Russia to claim the WBA heavyweight crown in 2009 thus becoming the second boxer to unify the cruiserweight titles and become a heavyweight world champion after American Evander Holyfield.

The victory over Valuev also made him the first Briton to hold a world heavyweight crown since Lennox Lewis.

His statement further read as follows: “For my fans, it must have been like going to support their favourite thoroughbred racehorse at the Grand National, only to see their stallion stumble out the gates like a sedated mule at the Donkey Derby.

“I saw punches coming but wasn’t quick enough to avoid them. I created openings but lacked the speed and agility to capitalise on them.

“Quick, bread and butter counterattacks, the sort I’ve effortlessly thrown since my teenage years, are no longer in my armoury. And when I take shots, they now shake me to my boots.

“The things I used to be able to do in the ring – instinctively – now exist only in my mind and in video clips of my old fights.”

He added: “The boxing gods have spoken. They will no longer protect me with the freakish speed and power I used to possess.

“And without these God-given gifts, I completely lose my edge.” David Haye concluded.