Stiliyan Petrov, captain of Aston Villa and Bulgaria's national football team, has put an end to his professinal football career, according to Bulgarian media.

The move comes after a shocking news emerged on Friday that he is suffering from acute leukemnia.

The 32-year-old Bulgarian midfielder will focus entirely on fighting his illness.

"Football is over. I am now starting to fight for my life - and I will fight," Petrov has said, as cited by Tema Sport.

"I am thankfull for the support from all over the world. Wishes from Bulgaria, however, give me the strongest enthusiasm that I will recover."

"The Villa Board received news today that our long-standing captain Stiliyan Petrovhas been diagnosed with Acute Leukemia," Aston Villa announced on its official website on Friday.

After Aston Villa’s defeat against Arsenal last week, Petrov reported his unusually low energy levels to the team’s medical staff, who advised him to rest for a couple of days, in the belief he was suffering from a virus.

His and Villa’s worst fears were confirmed 48 hours later, when he was told he was suffering from leukaemia and was booked in for treatment.

Petrov has been playing for Villa since 2006, after seven seasons in Celtic; before that he played for CSKA Sofia and PFC Montana. He has 105 appearances and 8 goals for the Bulgarian national football team.

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