According to major media reports, Jack Colback called time on his playing career having helped Nottingham Forest to promotion to the Premier League. He made 481 professional appearances, including 134 times for Nottingham Forest, 135 times for Sunderland, and 102 times for Newcastle United. Colback also played for Ipswich and QPR, with 241 matches in the Championship and 189 in the Premier League.
In a statement, Jack Colback said he felt privileged to have the honour of playing nearly 500 matches at the top level, representing some of the biggest clubs in the country in Newcastle, Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Queen’s Park Rangers. He added that it has been a journey he will always be grateful for, with highs, lows, promotions, tough defeats, and moments he’ll never forget. Colback first came to Nottingham Forest on loan in January 2018 after falling out of favour with Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez, and he said he felt he had been 'treated more like a number than a human being' at Newcastle United.
He played 39 times for Nottingham Forest in the 2018/2019 season under Aitor Karanka, returned to Newcastle for a year, and resumed his Nottingham Forest career in summer 2020 under Sabri Lamouchi. Under Chris Hughton and Steve Cooper, he was a key man in the side that promoted Nottingham Forest to the Premier League, often playing left back. However, he was less involved in Nottingham Forest's 2022/23 Premier League campaign, with Steve Cooper preferring Orel Mangala, Ryan Yates, and Cheikhou Kouyate.
Colback signed a two-year deal with QPR in 2023, was released by QPR last summer, and signed for Anstey Nomads, a level eight team, a month before retiring. He has not played any football in the current season. The specific reason prompting his retirement now, aside from general career end, is not known, and his immediate plans after retirement remain unclear.
Colback expressed gratitude to all his coaches, teammates, and supporters, and said he is looking forward to what the next chapter holds.