Charlton Athletic can confirm that midfielder Lauren Bruton has retired from professional football.
Hailing from Luton, the 30-year-old rose through the ranks of her hometown club before making the move to Arsenal’s academy. She made her senior debut for the Gunners in 2008.
The midfielder spent five years in north London as a youngster in the squad that earned back-to-back WSL titles in 2011 and 2012, as well as lifting the FA Women's Cup twice before heading west to Reading in 2013.
Bruton spent eight seasons with the Royals, making over 100 appearances.
On the international stage, Bruton featured at U17, U19 and U21 level for the young Lionesses and in 2018 she received her first call-up to Phil Neville's England side for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifiers, when she earned her first cap at senior level.
The midfielder joined Charlton in the summer of 2021 ahead of Addicks’ first season as a fully-professional outfit and was also named as club captain for the 2021/22 campaign.
Bruton enjoyed two seasons in SE7 before calling time on her playing career upon the conclusion of the 2022/23 season.
Head Coach Karen Hills offered her thanks to Lauren for her commitment to the club. She said: "I would just like to put on record that it’s been an absolute privilege to work with Lauren over the past two seasons. She joined us when we turned full-time as a key player who brought a wealth of experience with her and she was someone I was keen to work with.
“Unfortunately, Lauren’s time at Charlton has been a challenging one for her due to ongoing injury issues, however, she’s always been focused on helping me grow this project at Charlton and has been a huge support, not only for me but also for the younger players in the group.
“It’s sad that we won’t see someone like Lauren play the game going forward, but I have no doubt Lauren will take this time to reflect on her playing career and be very proud of what she has achieved and learned about herself. I wish her well as a player but also as a friend."
Lauren also shared her thanks while also expressing her excitement as she starts a new chapter outside of football. She added: "Football has been my whole life for so long. I've been very fortunate to be able to play alongside so many amazing players and staff and I will leave with many great memories. Now, I look forward to my next step in life after football."
We would like to thank Lauren for all her efforts with the club and wish her the very best for the future.