A large celebration was held in Delran on Thursday evening to commemorate soccer star Carli Lloyd’s retirement.

Lloyd grew up in New Jersey and played soccer at Delran High School. The Olympic and World Cup champion came back home to celebrate her career and her decision to retire.

“Mom and dad, I want to thank you for all you’ve done over the years. You helped lay the foundation to set me on this path. I know it wasn’t easy. Expensive, time-consuming and I want you to know how thankful I am for what you did,” Lloyd said.

After playing for Delran High School, Lloyd then played for Rutgers University. She would go on to be one of the greatest soccer players in the world.

She is a two-time gold medalist and earned a bronze medal in Tokyo this past summer. She also has two World Cup championships.

But despite all of these accomplishments, Lloyd admits that there was a toll. She lost time with her husband, family and friends as she remained dedicated to her training and career.

And she has a message for all the young soccer players wearing her No. 10 jersey.

“Life is hard. Life does not always give you what you want. Don’t quit and run away from challenging moments. Embrace them,” she said.

Lloyd, who now lives in Mount Laurel, is beloved by the community of Delran. They threw quite a party in her honor.

“It is absolutely incredible coming from such a small town and putting in all the work on her own to get where she is. I think it’s inspirational for a lot of young girls,” says Anita Urian, of Delran.

Lloyd is also an inspiration to many young players.

“I think about it all the time. Like it inspires all of us because she was such a big deal here,” says Delran High School student Olivia Sofooney. “It is so cool to know she is from Delran and made a big impact here.”

The retirement party was capped off with a round of fireworks and a parting gift from the town. The mayor announced that the green space where the celebration was held will be turned into a soccer field. It will be named the Carli Lloyd Field.