MADRID, 3 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini announced this Saturday his retirement from professional football after an 18-year career, after leaving Chinese side Shandong Taishan last November.
“I am writing this post to announce that, after 18 years of career, I am retiring from professional football. What an incredible journey it has been! I am very grateful to have played the sport that I love at the highest level,” Fellaini said in a post on the social network Instagram.
The Belgian international, who made 87 appearances for his national team, began his career at Standard Liege, before moving to Everton (2008-13) and Manchester United (2013-19). “I am proud to have represented Standard in Belgium, Everton and Manchester United in the United Kingdom and Shandong Taishan in China. It was an honor to have played for the Belgian national team in the 2008 Olympic Games, Euro 2016 and the 2014 and 2018 World Cups,” he indicated.
“I have played in front of the best fans in the world, and I want to take this moment to thank them all for their unwavering support throughout my career. Their encouragement and passion have been a constant source of inspiration for me. As I embark on this new chapter of my life, I look forward to new challenges, but rest assured that I will continue to support the beautiful game in every way I can,” he concluded.
Fellaini won an FA Cup and a Europa League during his time at Manchester United and helped Belgium to third place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia before enjoying league and cup success with Shandong.