The versatile Fenerbahce forward has announced his retirement from international football at the age of 34 but admitted that it was hard to say goodbye.
The Fenerbahce forward was a part of the Dutch squad that finished third at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil under the guidance of former boss Louis van Gaal and was also called upon by Guus Hiddink for his first two games at the helm, against Italy and Czech Republic last month.
However, Kuyt, who started the friendly with the Azzurri only to be left on the bench for his country's Euro 2016 qualifier in Prague, has now decided to retire from international football.
"This goodbye is hard for me," the 34-year-old told De Telegraaf. "In one fell swoop, I'm no longer an international, but an Oranje fan. It's all still very fresh.
"I'll miss everything about it but perhaps the goosebumps you get during the national anthem most of all.
"I consider playing for my country as the greatest honour there is and I'm thankful I had that opportunity."
Kuyt was given his Netherlands debut by Dutch icon Marco van Basten in a game against Liechtenstein in 2004 and became a mainstay in the Oranje squad for the next decade.
The versatile attacker, who even played in defence at times, scored 24 times for Oranje and featured in three World Cups and two European Championships.
No comments:
Post a Comment