The Hague (the Netherlands): At the age of 40 Dutch goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg decided to quit after a long career, his club Ajax announced on Friday.
Stekelenburg was at his best at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, when he reached the final with the Netherlands and had a memorable save on a shot by Kaka in the quarterfinals against Brazil. In total, he played 63 matches for his country.
Stekelenburg made his professional debut for Ajax on August 11, 2002, with a 3-1 win over PSV in the Dutch Super Cup. In 2010 he left Ajax for AS Roma and after stints at Fulham, AS Monaco, Southampton and Everton Stekelenburg returned to Ajax in 2020.
During his time at Ajax, the goalkeeper won five league titles, four Dutch Cups, and four Super Cups. Due to injuries and due to his position as reserve goalkeeper Stekelenburg has not played a match for a year.