Former Holland
striker, Dirk Kuyt has announced his retirement from professional
football after an amazing 19-year career that saw him play top class
football for clubs in England and Turkey.
36-year-old Kuyt
made the announcement after leading Feyenoord to their first Dutch
Eredivisie title in 18 years. He'll now move into a role with the club’s
technical management team.
Kuyt in an
announcement on Feyenoord’s official website said, “throughout my
career, I have always followed my heart when taking decisions and that
goes for this one too. 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.”
Kuyt started his
career at Utrecht, where he won the Dutch Cup before moving to
Feyenoord in 2003. After being the top scorer in his first three seasons
with the Rotterdam club, Kuyt moved to English Premier League giants
Liverpool in 2006. He scored 71 goals in 285 appearances during his six
seasons with the Reds, leading them to an English League Cup title in
2012. Then he had a three-year spell with Fenerbahce, where he won the
Turkish Super Lig, Turkish Cup, and Turkish Super Cup titles. He
returned to Feyenoord in 2015 and won a second Dutch Cup winners medal
before leading the club to the Dutch league title this season.