Ray Clemence retires after 47 years in a game he graced as a world-renowned goalkeeper and top-class coach He was also an excellent goalkeeping coach for his country, serving under Glenn Hoddle, Kevin Keegan and Sven-Goran Eriksson, although life became complicated under Fabio Capello when Franco Tancredi came in. Clemence helped out under Roy Hodgson, working with the highly-regarded Dave Watson, but his ability to drill the keepers was tempered when damaging an Achilles before the Euro 2012 opener against France in Donetsk. "I have been lucky to have had 47 years in this wonderful game, of which 17 of these have been spent at the FA,"" said Clemence. I have enjoyed working with great players and also seeing young players start in the under-16 development team and progress through those teams to the senior side. There are some frustrations working in the FA, but it is full of hard-working, dedicated staff who are all trying to improve the state of the game. I leave the FA with many happy memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. So many memories. Clemence won five league titles, three European Cups, three Uefa Cups (although he was injured for Spurs" final triumph over Anderlecht in 84), two FA Cups, one League Cup and 61 caps. Clemence would have been feted more had he sought the limelight, had Peter Shilton not cast a shadow and had the ball not been so often down the other end with that imperious Liverpool side of the Seventies and Eighties. Clemence kept 323 clean sheets in 665 appearances for Liverpool; photographers were known to turn up at Anfield and ask him to hang white sheets from the crossbar at the Kop end for photo-opportunities. For that is what Clemence did, either keep clean sheets or make huge saves because of his anticipation, athleticism, and a will to win that meant he was dubbed "the Assassin"" as he marauded around Melwood as an outfield player during post-training five-a-sides. His saves were incredible. This is the man who faced Pele, Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona during his career. His repertoire of saves was astonishing, dropping to his right to keep out Jupp Heynckes" penalty in the 1973 Uefa Cup final, pushing over a strike from St-Etienne's Dominique Rocheteau on an epic quarter-final night at Anfield in 1977 and then spreading himself to block from Borussia Moenchengladbach's Uli Stielike in the European Cup final of 1977. There was also a save at the near post from Manchester City's Franny Lee, who tapped him respectfully on back. He still gets asked about being nutmegged by Scotland's Kenny Dalglish at Hampden Park in 1976. Such was Dalglish's admiration for Clemence that he resisted his new team-mates" pleas to wind up the keeper on joining Liverpool the following year. The FA will miss Clemence. His most recent innovation came in April when he hosted the FA's first coaching conference at St George's Park. He talked of how goalkeeping had changed, how the successors to his great tradition had to parry more because of the modern ball's unpredictable movement through the air. Having suffered prostate cancer in 2005 and now reaching 65, Clemence has understandably decided to spend more time with his family and growing collection of grandchildren. His son Stephen is reserve-team manager at Hull City while his daughter Sarah is married to Dougie Freedman, the Bolton Wanderers manager. Clemence's connection with English football remains strong.