Mahela Jayawardene © Getty Images
Mahela Jayawardene © Getty Images

 

Jul 15, 2014

 

English Premier League (EPL) football club Manchester United wished Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene on the announcement of his plans to retire later this year. The club posted on their Facebook page on Monday a picture of Jayawardene with the rest of the Sri Lankan team at the Old Trafford, their home ground, on his 37th birthday.

 

The Red Devils, as the club is popularly known, posted on their official page, “Sri Lanka cricket captain and big United fan Mahela Jayawardene has announced his plans to retire later this year. He visited us at Old Trafford recently, on his 37th birthday. All the best Mahela and congratulations on a fantastic career.” The post has received over 21,000 likes and more than a thousand shares so far.

 

The outgoing veteran had visited the club’s famed home ground with the members of the Sri Lankan squad and staff, which was apparently planned out by his wife Christina Mallika Sirisena as a birthday surprise. The visit occured during the team’s tour of England, a day before their third One-Day International at Manchester. Jayawardene also received a signed shirt from former club icon Ryan Giggs. The flamboyant batsman also posts tweets related to the club regularly.