Man City's Coombs 'can't believe' ending to career

Manchester City midfielder Laura Coombs says she "can't believe" how her football career is ending.

The 35-year-old, who has had a career spanning almost 20 years, announced she is retiring at the end of the season.

She helped City win their first Women's Super League title in a decade this month and they are still chasing a domestic double when they face Brighton in the Women's FA Cup final on Sunday, 31 May (15:00 BST).

"I can't quite believe the ending that I'm having. We've come close [to winning the WSL] maybe once or twice in my time here before," Coombs told BBC Sport.

"It's just been such a special year and it feels like it's been coming. This year, I just think everything fell into place for us. Everyone feels how special this group is.

"I'm so happy that I got to spend my last year with them."

Coombs, who earned seven caps for England, began her senior career at Arsenal in 2007 and represented some of the country's biggest clubs.

She received a surprise recall to the England squad after an eight-year absence by manager Sarina Wiegman in 2023 and was part of the squad that reached the World Cup final that year, as well as winning the Women's Finalissima.

However, Coombs admitted she was close to retiring last season but wanted to stay on and help City win the elusive WSL .

"It just didn't feel right. But this year, I think it really feels right. It feels like the club is in such a good place. I'm excited to see where it goes," added Coombs.

"We're not really used to being in the position where everyone's chasing us. It was a really good test and we came through, so I think it's really good for the future.

"Behind the scenes, there's people trying to get the right players here and the right characters. If they can continue with that and bring in further talent it's only going to go one way."