Ex-Liverpool striker with 38 appearances announces retirement

There is a specific kind of nostalgia reserved for the early days of a new managerial era at Anfield.

Back in the summer of 2012, as Brendan Rodgers stepped through the doors as Liverpool manager, his very first statement signing arrived from AS Roma for abio Borini’s €13.3 million transfer fee from AS Roma to Liverpool in July 2012 converted to £10.5 million (around £11 million with performance-related add-ons).

At the time, Borini was considered one of the brightest prospects in European football.Fresh off making his senior international debut for Italy and having already sampled English football with Chelsea and Swansea City, the Italian arrived on Merseyside carrying the weight of enormous expectation.

Yet, as Kopites know all too well, football can be a cruel game.Fast forward 14 years, and the 35-year-old forward has officially called time on his 17-year playing career.

The Italian confirmed his retirement in an emotional post on social media, looking back at a globe-trotting journey that took him from Chelsea’s academy to Anfield, Milan, and eventually English League Two side Salford City.

“It all started with a flight. Thank you Chelsea. I was 16 years old. A flight I spent entirely with tears in my eyes, beginning the journey of my career with no real destination, other than the dreams I wanted to achieve,” Borini wrote.

“From that day on, I started building myself, without knowing what would become of that kid with such a strong mindset. I started building my dreams in my head, and somehow, I ended up turning them into my reality.

“The same reality that today will change forever. The reality that has shaped my past, my present and my future. Today, just like that day when I sat on a plane to London, I feel those same emotions about what lies ahead. Fear. Happiness. Courage. Uncertainty. Dreams. Success. Passion. Sacrifice.

“I want to thank that kid who never stopped believing. And the man I am today will keep believing in the next opportunity, this time without a ball at my feet, but with that same belief. Always. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, FOOTBALL.”

Borini’s stint at Liverpool was defined by immense work rate, bad luck, and nagging injuries. He made 20 appearances during a debut 2012-13 campaign interrupted by a fractured foot and shoulder dislocating injuries, managing two goals.

When Liverpool famously mounted their thrilling 2013-14 Premier League title charge, many supporters often forget where Borini was: he spent that entire unforgettable campaign out on loan at Sunderland, making zero appearances for Brendan Rodgers' side that year.

Yet, in a remarkable twist, Borini played a pivotal role in boosting Liverpool's title hopes from afar. In April 2014, while wearing Sunderland colours, Borini smashed home a dramatic late winning penalty at Stamford Bridge to hand Chelsea a 2-1 defeat inflicting José Mourinho’s first-ever Premier League home loss as Chelsea manager.

That strike put Liverpool in pole position for the title.

That result, combined with Liverpool's 3-2 win at Norwich City the following day, put the Reds five points clear at the top of the table with just three games remaining. The title was firmly in Liverpool's hands.

However, the agonising collapse that followed remains one of the most heartbreaking chapters in modern Anfield history:

• April 27, 2014 — Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea: On a nervous afternoon at Anfield, Steven Gerrard's tragic slip on stroke of half-time allowed Demba Ba to score, before Willian sealed a 2-0 defeat for Liverpool, blowing the title race wide open.

• May 5, 2014 — Crystal Palace 3-3 Liverpool: Needing a big win at Selhurst Park to build goal difference, Liverpool surged into a 3-0 lead through Joe Allen, a Damien Delaney own goal, and Luis Suárez. But in a catastrophic final 11 minutes, Liverpool conceded three quickfire goals to draw 3-3, leaving Suárez in tears on the pitch.

• May 11, 2014 — The Final Day: Manchester City defeated West Ham 2-0 on the final day, rendering Liverpool's 2-1 win over Newcastle meaningless. City clinched the Premier League title with 86 points, leaving Liverpool in second place on 84 points missing out by just two points.

Borini returned to Anfield for the 2014-15 season, adding 18 appearances and one goal a neat strike away at Aston Villa before completing a permanent £8 million transfer to Sunderland in the summer of 2015. In total, he scored 3 goals in 38 appearances across two seasons for the Reds.

A prolific loan spell at Sunderland followed in 2013-14, before he returned to Merseyside to add 18 games and a memorable strike against Aston Villa back in 2015 a 2-1 win it was his first goal of the campaign as well as the Reds winning fourth league game out of five under Rodgers in that time.

He eventually completed a permanent transfer to the Sunderland in 2015.

In total, Borini scored 3 goals in 38 appearances across two seasons for the Reds. Though his time on Merseyside never quite reached the heights many hoped for, his iconic "knife in teeth" celebration and relentless work ethic earned him the respect of the Kop.

Among those showing support was former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, who played alongside the Italian at Anfield. Henderson replied to Borini’s post with clapping and raised hands emojis, while Liverpool FC released an official message stating: “We wish Fabio all the best for the future.”

Borini’s career saw him wear the shirts of Roma, AC Milan, Hellas Verona, Fatih Karagumruk, Sampdoria, and Salford City, where he scored 5 goals in 33 appearances before his contract expired. Though his Anfield story was brief, he remains a distinctive chapter in Liverpool's modern history.

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