OTTAWA -- Canadian soccer captain Julian de Guzman is retiring as a player to become an assistant coach with Ottawa Fury FC.
The 35-year-old midfielder exits as Canada's most capped men's player with 89 appearances, passing Paul Stalteri's previous record of 84 in November 2015.
He called soccer "the love of my life" at an emotional news conference announcing his playing farewell.
De Guzman made his senior debut for Canada in January 2002. His last appearance was last June.
He joined Ottawa -- the 10th club team of a distinguished career -- for the 2015 season.
He previously played for Toronto FC and FC Dallas in MLS, Deportivo La Coruna in Spain as well as teams in France, Germany and Greece.
The Canadian Soccer Association has already tabbed de Guzman as a coaching resource, using him as a guest coach to help identify young talent.
