Grella was playing his first senior game since September 2011 after struggling with a series of injuries since signing for Blackburn Rovers in 2008.

Heart staff had insisted he had overcome the plague of injuries and was set to see out the season with the Melbourne side after nursing him back to fitness.

But today the club revealed Grella had called time on his playing career and was quitting immediately.

Grella, 33, leaves football as one of the country’s most decorated ever internationals, representing the Socceroos on 46 occasions, including two FIFA World Cups and over a decade spent in the Serie A and English Premier League.

“After 17 years of professional football, my body has told me it’s enough,” Grella said. “I need to thank John Aloisi and the club for giving me a final chance to continue as a professional.

“I felt the club’s culture was the perfect place for me to be and it’s frustrating I won’t have the opportunity to contribute to it and to John’s first steps as a coach.”

While disappointed that Grella will not be in a position to make an on-field impact, Aloisi said he was proud of the club’s decision to give Grella one final chance.

“Vince has been a brilliant contributor to Australian football for a long time,” Aloisi said. “He deserved an opportunity to see if he could resurrect his career and we are proud that we were able to give him that chance.

“We always knew it was going to be a risk, but for me, it was certainly a risk worth taking.”

Melbourne Heart Chairman Peter Sidwell added that Grella’s dedication to Heart continues to be exemplary.

“The club will always be grateful to Vince for putting his life on hold and sacrificing so much personally and financially in order to assist this club,” Sidwell said.

“It’s the sort of sacrifice that we need from every person within the organisation.”