30-time Netherlands international Eljero Elia has announced his retirement.
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The winger last played a game for ADO Den Haag in January 2022 and left the club in the summer. He has been clubless since and has now decided to announce his retirement.
Speaking to ESPN, Elia said, “This is the moment that the whole of the Netherlands will know that I have stopped playing football. In my head I had already stopped. I didn’t like it anymore in recent years.”
Elia had a varied career that saw him play for Feyenoord, FC Utrecht, ADO Den Haag, and FC Twente in the Netherlands. Abroad he had spells with Juventus, Istanbul Basaksehir, Werder Bremen, Hamburg SV, and Southampton.
He earned 30 caps and was part of the Netherlands squad that reached the 2010 World Cup final.