Fact file: Benni McCarthy

As South African legend Benni McCarthy prepares to bring down the curtain on his professional career, Football411 takes a look back at the defining moments that made the man. McCarthy on Thursday announced he will be hanging up his playing boots, ending a 17-year career in which he became Bafana Bafana's all-time record goal-scorer. His achievements at club level are just as impressive, having tasted Champions League glory and winning the league crowns in the Netherlands, Portugal and South Africa, while also having added numerous other awards and accolades to his bulging trophy cabinet before . Benni McCarthy fact-file: 1977: Born in Cape Town, South Africa, to Dudley and Dora McCarthy, growing up in the crime-ridden community of Hanover Park on the Cape Flats. 1990: Begins road to professional football as a youth player with Young Pirates, who were managed by his uncles, before moving to Crusaders. 1995: Signs first professional contract, penning terms with Cape club Seven Stars as a 17-year-old, but manages just one goal in his debut season. The next year, though, he shows his true potential, netting 12 in 20 appearances. 1997: Earns transfer to Cape Town Spurs, who soon merge with Seven Stars to become what is now known as Ajax Cape Town. However, is snapped up by Ajax Amsterdam, where he wins his first league title, in the Eredivisie, while also helping them to the Dutch Cup in his debut season. 1997: Makes international debut, playing for South Africa against the Netherlands on June 4. 1998: Scores first international goal at the 1998 Africa Cup of Nations against Namibia, and goes on to net four times in that game while eventually finishing the tournament as joint top-scorer with seven. 1998: Represents South Africa at the 1998 World Cup, scoring the equaliser against Denmark, but is unable to help the team out of the group stages. 1999: Snapped up by Spanish La Liga side Celta Vigo, but fails to impress and after two seasons is loaned out to FC Porto. 2002: Takes part in second World Cup finals, again scoring a goal, this time against Spain, but once more is unable to get Bafana through the group stages as they finish third. 2002: Returns to form at the Portuguese giants, earning a permanent contract the following season which marks the beginning of his rise to footballing stardom. 2002: Retires from international football after club commitments keep him out of numerous games for Bafana Bafana. 2004: Helps Porto and Jose Mourinho to a historic treble, winning the Portuguese league and cup before lifting the Champions League trophy. Also comes out of international retirement after regaining favour with the South African coaching staff. 2006: Wins second league crown with Porto, but a previous falling out with new manager Fernandez sees the striker push for a move away from the club. 2006: Signs with Premier League side Blackburn Rovers, and finishes his debut season as the division's second highest scorer with 18 goals. 2007: An injury early in second season with Rovers rules him out for several weeks, while Paul Ince's appointment as manager sees MCarthy's playing time severely limited. 2008: Scores the last of his 31 international goals before a lack of playing time in the Bafana team sees him retire from international football. 2010: Continues to plug away at Blackburn, going on to score 52 goals in 140 games before moving to English rivals West Ham United. 2011: Another injury at the beginning of the 2011/12 campaign leaves McCarthy sidelined for six weeks, while he is unable to break into the team upon his return and eventually parts ways with the club by mutual consent. Returns to South Africa, signing for Premier Soccer League side Orlando Pirates. 2012: Earns hero status at the Buccaneers after helping them to a historic domestic treble, winning the PSL, Telkom Knockout and MTN8. Also makes his return from four years of international exile to represent Bafana Bafana following Gordon Igesund's appointment as coach, but suffers yet another injury blow after managing just five minutes against Brazil late in 2012. 2013: Injuries start mounting and a series of knocks rules him out for the majority of Orlando Pirates season, leading to his decision to retire from the game. If you would like to send Benni McCarthy your wishes, simply email football@teamtalkmedia.com and we'll share them right here where the man himself can read them.