Heartbroken Wolves legend Steve Bull has this afternoon announced his retirement from football after a glittering career.

The 34-year-old, scorer of a club record 306 goals, made the shock decision on only the second day of Wolves' four-match tour in Sweden. The former England international, who won a battle last winter to prolong his phenomenal career, had appeared to be training well after reporting back with his team-mates eight days ago. But the trouble with his left knee has flared again and forced him to reluctantly accept that his days as one of Molineux's most famous marauding No.9s are over. Bull had some fluid drained from his knee shortly before the squad's departure from England, but the swelling quickly returned and has prevented him from doing any training since their arrival yesterday. He had a brief meeting at lunchtime with manager Colin Lee, who promptly rang Molineux to inform managing director John Richards, and in turn, chairman and president Sir Jack Hayward. Although Bull's succession of operations had made his retirement a possibility, his departure from Wolves' playing ranks will still devastate his masses of admirers. He made a popular return to Wolves' attack at the end of the season and had hoped to be fit to lead the club into one final campaign before his contract ran out next summer.

Since being signed from Albion by Graham Turner for £64,000 in November, 1986, Bull has won the hearts of the football fraternity with his ever-hungry, uncomplicated style. He was dubbed the backstreet international when he made a dream goalscoring debut for England away to Scotland in May, 1989 - one of 13 appearances he made his country's senior side.