Hierro to retire at end of season
 |  Born leader. Hierro has been a commanding presence during a glittering career. |
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LONDON, England -- Former Real Madrid star Fernando Hierro has told a Spanish radio station he intends to retire at the end of the season.
The 37-year-old has just helped unheralded Bolton to qualify for the UEFA Cup next season and was due to have contract talks with manager Sam Allardyce.
"I'm clear about the decision but I wanted to leave it while I'm still playing at a high level. "My last game will be on Sunday," he told Radio Marca.
Hierro joined Bolton on a 12-month contract last summer after a season in Qatar and has been the mainstay of the side in the last few weeks, playing in a holding role.
During his 14 years at Real Madrid he lifted the European Cup three times and secured the Spanish title on six occasions.
Hierro won 89 caps for Spain - a record for an outfield player. He also holds a Spanish top flight all-time record for a defender, having scored 105 goals in Primera Liga.
Hierro joined Real Madrid, the nine-times European champions, from Valladolid in 1989 but he left the club when Vicente del Bosque was sacked as coach a day after the club won the league title in June 2003.
Bolton currently stand sixth in the Premier League with a final match of the season against Everton on Sunday.
