Dutch footballer Kuyt to hang up his boots

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Dirk Kuyt, Dutch footballer and captain of Dutch football club Feyenoord, on Wednesday announced retirement from football.

The 36-year-old forward said, "To me this feels like the right time to retire. I have had two fantastic years here since returning to Feyenoord, with this season's title as the absolute pinnacle. I had the dream of winning trophies and becoming a champion with Feyenoord. All my dreams have come true." ^{((nl))Dutch language: ‍Voor mij voelt dit als het juiste moment om te stoppen. Na mijn terugkeer naar Feyenoord heb ik hier twee fantastische jaren gehad, met de landstitel van dit seizoen als absoluut hoogtepunt. Ik kwam terug om prijzen te winnen en kampioen te worden met Feyenoord. Al mijn dromen zijn verwezenlijkt.} On Sunday, Kuyt scored a hat trick as Feyenoord won their first Dutch League title Eredivisie since 1999.

On Sunday, Kuyt scored a hat-trick as Feyenoord won their first Dutch league title Eredivisie since 1999. Kuyt's nineteen-year footballing career started at FC Utrecht. He won one KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup) with them. Kuyt moved to Feyenoord Rotterdam in 2003 after five seasons at Utrecht. He was top-scorer of the club in all three season at the Rotterdam club.

The Dutchman joined English club Liverpool F.C. in 2006. Six seasons with the Merseyside club, Kuyt netted 71 goals in 285 appearances. In 2012, he won the English Cup, his only trophy with the Reds. In his debut season for Liverpool, Kuyt won the silver medal in the UEFA Champions League, losing to Italian giants A.C. Milan.

Kuyt spent three seasons with Turkish club Fenerbahçe winning the Süper Lig (Turkish league title), Turkish Cup and Turkish Super Cup before moving to Feyenoord. He won a KNVB Cup and Eredivisie in two seasons in his second spell at the club. He scored twelve league goals this season.

Kuyt has 104 international caps and has the sixth most caps for Oranje. He has scored 24 goals in the Dutch colours. Kuyt featured in three FIFA World Cups, finishing second in 2010's World Cup in South Africa and third in 2014's World Cup in Brazil. Kuyt is to take a sports management training programme. Feyenoord's techincal director Martic van Geel is to tutor him. van Geel said, "I will tutor Dirk and I could easily imagine him taking over from me in due course."

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Related news

"Gerrard announces retirement from professional football" — Wikinews, November 25, 2016

Sources

"Goalscorer Kuyt announces retirement" — FIFA, May 17, 2017
"Dirk Kuyt: Former Liverpool and Netherlands forward retires after Feyenoord title win" — BBC Sports, May 17, 2017
"Dirk Kuyt announces retirement" — Feyenoord, May 17, 2017
"Kuyt: ‘Al mijn dromen zijn verwezenlijkt’" — Feyenoord, May 17, 2017 (Dutch)

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