Stekelenburg explains choice to stop: ‘Aches? Where not’

Maarten Stekelenburg recently announced his retirement as a player in professional football. The forty-year-old goalkeeper still enjoys the game, but thinks this is the right time to retire from football. The way Stekelenburg wakes up in the morning after training also plays a role in his choice.

“It has to stop at some point Hans”, the goalie starts opposite ESPN. “The pains are starting to come and it also plays a role that you don’t play anymore, of course”, Stekelenburg refers to his role as third keeper at Ajax. Hans Kraay junior wondered what aches and pains the forty-year-old Ajax goalkeeper is struggling with, but Stekelenburg doesn’t have to think long about that: “Where not?”, says the goalkeeper with a laugh. “It’s all a bit more difficult now and you can also go on too long, of course.”

Kraay then wonders whether the goalkeeper still enjoys diving every day: “I still enjoy diving, that will never change. I still enjoy training every day, but getting up in the morning is somewhat more difficult”, Stekelenburg refers to the complaints that get worse at his age.

The goalkeeper, who will soon turn 41, will retire from football in the near future to orient himself on the next step in his career. “I first want to find out what this is like and then we’ll see further. Now I’m going to enjoy with my family and do things that I haven’t done for a long time,” said the goalkeeper from Haarlem.