Former Chelsea and Bayern Munich winger, Arjen Robben, has announced his retirement from playing football for a second time after a spell with boyhood club, Groningen.
Robben made the announcement in a statement on the Groningen website on Thursday.
His statement read: “The football heart wanted to continue, especially with the ultimate goal of [playing in front of] a full Euroborg.
“But the decision to stop is fair and realistic. That is why from today I am no longer a player, but a supporter of our club.”
The 37-year-old had hung up his boots after leaving Bayern Munich in July 2019, but Robben returned to play for his first club Groningen last season.
However, injuries shattered his comeback and he has now announced his departure from the Eredivisie club.
The Dutchman broke onto the senior stage at Groningen before being snapped up by PSV in 2002, and Chelsea came calling two years later after seeing him inspire the Eindhoven-based club to an Eredivisie title.
Robben added six more trophies to his collection at Stamford Bridge, including two Premier League titles and the FA Cup, scoring 19 goals in 109 appearances for the Blues in total.
Real Madrid then snapped him up for €35 million (£30m/$41m) in 2007, and he won a league and Supercopa de Espana double in his first year with the Blancos, but was sold to Bayern after an underwhelming second season at Santiago Bernabeu.
Robben took his game to new heights at Allianz Arena, recording 144 goals over 309 matches while securing another 20 trophies, including a maiden Champions League crown and eight Bundesliga titles.
He also enjoyed an impressive international career, scoring 37 goals in 96 outings for the Netherlands and inspiring their run to the 2010 World Cup final.
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