Former Walsall midfielder Joss Labadie has announced his retirement from football, bringing to an end a nearly twenty-year professional career.Joining the Saddlers from Newport County in the summer of 2021, Joss made forty-six first-team appearances during an injury hit spell in WS1, with many fans remembering for the shear volume of cautions he collected during his stay in WS1.
Before moving to the Bescot, Joss spent the previous five seasons with the Exiles, where he played 146 times and scored 19 goals helping the club reach two play-finals. He netted six times in the 2020-21 season, including the winner at the Banks’s Stadium back in February.
Labadie began his career at West Bromwich Albion and enjoyed loan spells at Shrewsbury Town, Cheltenham Town and Tranmere Rovers before moving to the then League One side on a permanent basis in the summer of 2010.
After two seasons at Prenton Park, where he found the net 10 times, he joined Notts County. After 18 months at Meadow Lane, he left for Torquay United, then in League Two, in January 2014.
He left at the end of the 2013/14 season and signed for Dagenham & Redbridge where he scored seven times and made 61 appearances before his switch to Newport in 2016.
After leaving Walsall in the summer of 2023, Joss joined Solihull Moors and spent two seasons in the National League before making the move to Hednesford Town, ahead of a switch to Stratford Town.
Posting via his official Instagram feed, Joss said: "I've been putting this post off for quite some time, but the time has finally come to announce my retirement from the game I love.
"For almost 20 years, football has given me a career, incredible memories and, most importantly, the ability to provide for my family. For that, I’ll always be grateful.
"Moving to Birmingham as a 15-year-old and stepping into the unknown was the start of a journey that shaped the person I am today.
"I’ve been fortunate enough to play alongside and against some unbelievable players, work with fantastic managers and coaches, and meet people who will remain friends for life.
"Football has given me some incredible highs, but it’s also tested me through injuries and setbacks. It’s taught me resilience and lessons that will stay with me long after my playing days are over.
"Thank you to every club I’ve represented, every manager and coach who’s helped me, every teammate I’ve shared a dressing room with, and every supporter who’s backed me along the way.
"Above all, I’ll always be proud that football allowed me to provide for my family for so long. That will always mean more to me than anything I achieved on the pitch.
"Thankfully, this is the end of one chapter, not my journey. I’ve found a new passion in financial services, where I can continue to build something meaningful and help other families protect what matters most.
"I’ll miss the matchdays, the changing rooms and the competition, but it’s time to embrace what comes next.
"A part of me will always be a footballer. Thank you for everything, football. You’ve given me more than I could ever put into words."
