Luuk de Jong announces his retirement from Netherlands

Former Sevilla and Barcelona striker Luuk de Jong, currently with PSV Eindhoven, has announced that he is leaving the Netherlands national team.

"I am stepping down from international football. It has been such an honour. Thanks for all the memories, 'Oranje'," the 32-year-old de Jong, who made his debut for his national team on 9th February 2011 in a 3-1 friendly win over Austria at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven when replacing Dirk Kuyt under Bert van Marwijk, posted on social media.

In total, he has made 39 appearances, including one at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and the 2012 and 2020 European Championships, in which he scored eight goals.

"It was always an honour for me to be part of the Dutch national team. But now I feel it is the right time to make this decision, because a new European Championship qualifying series will start this month. I want to concentrate fully on PSV in the coming years," De Jong said.

National coach Ronald Koeman said he was surprised when the striker called him on Thursday to inform him of his decision. "But I understand his explanation that he wants to focus 100 per cent on PSV. We are going to miss him. Both on the pitch and off," he said.

 

March 3, 2023