Ajax goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg to hang up his boots and gloves | OneFootball

Maarten Stekelenburg has decided to hang up his boots and gloves at the end of the season after a professional career which spans 20 years, Voetbal International reports.

The 40-year-old goalkeeper will say goodbye to the Ajax crowd on Sunday around the match against FC Utrecht in his side’s penultimate match of the Eredivisie season as his side look to secure a place in next season’s Champions League.

The experienced goalkeeper has found himself to be third-choice for head coach John Heitinga this season behind Geronimo Rulli, 30, and Remko Pasveer, 39, who recently extended in the Johan Cruijff Arena.

The former Everton goalkeeper has not played a minute for Ajax this season. Last season he made seven appearances in the Eredivisie.

Stekelenburg made his debut for Ajax on August 2002 in the match for the Johan Cruyff Scale against PSV Eindhoven and went on to five Eredivisie titles with the Amsterdam club as well as four KNVB Cup and three more John Cruyff Shields.

He made 446 appearances in all competitions throughout his career including 311 at Ajax.

He also featured in goal for the Dutch national team 63 times which included the 2010 World Cup final where Oranje lost in extra-time to Spain.

Apart from his two periods at Ajax, Stekelenburg was abroad under the bar at AS Roma, Fulham, AS Monaco, Southampton and Everton.

GBeNeFN | Tom Phillips