LONDON (Reuters) - Part-nationalised lender Lloyds Banking Group said chief executive Eric Daniels was to retire, making him the third high-profile British banking figure to announce his departure within a fortnight.

Mr. Daniels, who was criticised by Lloyds shareholders for the takeover of ailing rival HBOS two years ago when the financial crisis was at its height, will quit in a year.

The deal exposed conservatively-run Lloyds to bad loans built up by HBOS and the bank was later forced to accept £17 billion ($27 billion) of emergency government assistance, handing an 41 percent stake to the taxpayer in return.

US-born Mr. Daniels, 59, said there had been no shareholder pressure for him to quit and defended the HBOS acquisition.

"We will demonstrate that this is something that has completely repositioned the bank," he told reporters on a conference call.

"Clearly we have strong momentum going forward, so I think the shareholders and the taxpayer will do very, very well with their investment in Lloyds."

Lloyds said chairman Win Bischoff will lead the search for a successor and will consider external and external candidates. No shortlist of potential successors was yet in place, and headhunters have yet to be appointed, Mr. Bischoff said.

Oriel Securities analyst Mike Trippitt said Lloyds's head of retail banking Helen Weir was the only likely internal candidate.

"Lloyds may look to the Australian and Canadian banking systems for candidates. Both came through the crisis in good shape," he said in a note.