Panaji, Apr 9 (IANS): Carlos Peña on Thursday announced his retirement from playing professional football at the age of 36.

The Spaniard played his last two seasons with FC Goa, helping the Gaurs to their first ever piece of silverware -- lifting the Super Cup in the 2018/19.

Last season, with him in the backline, the Gaurs went on to top the table in the league stage of the Indian Super League. The feat helped the club become the first ever club from India to secure a place in the AFC Champions League group stage.

Over the past two seasons, Peña appeared in FC Goa colours 43 times, scoring twice -- both from set-pieces in the 2019/20 season. With him at the heart of the defence, the Gaurs earned plaudits for a much-improved defence.

With his introduction alongside Fall, the Gaurs were able to keep 5 clean sheets in 5 straight games and concede only 7 goals in the last 11 games of the 2018/19 season.

After announcing his retirement from the game, Peña said, "It has been a real pleasure to enjoy my last two years in FC Goa and India. I feel incredibly blessed to have felt the love and passion of the people of Goa everyday.

"We have together achieved a lot and lived some memorable moments. Me and my family were lucky to have spent two years in India and I would like to say that we will forever be Gaurs."