Robben Flirts With Retirement U-Turn
Arjen Robben has revealed that he has flirted with the idea of making a return to active football.
The 36-year-old brought the curtain down on his playing career when his contract expired at Bayern Munich last summer.
Robben has been away from the game for less than a year but he admits making a return to the field has crossed his mind.
"In the beginning I didn't miss football at all," he told the FC Bayern Podcast.
"But then there was a phase when it tickled again and I had thoughts such as: 'Hey, maybe I would like to play a little again.’
"From time to time I still have this feeling. With this virus, it is a very strange time for everyone and when football returns, then now! But maybe it always stays a bit in there. I'm just an athlete."
Robben began his career in his native Netherlands with Groningen before moving to PSV Eindhoven.
Jose Mourinho priced him to Chelsea from Holland in 2004 and he was part of the Blues side that won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006.
Robben added another league title to his trophy collection after joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2007 but it was at Bayern Munich where he really forged his reputation as one of the best wingers in world football.
In 10 years at Bayern Munich, Robben won eight Bundesliga titles as well as numerous domestic cups and he also scored the winning goal in the Bavarians’ 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final.
Robben made 96 appearances for the Dutch national team, scoring 36 goals and was an integral member of their squads that lost the 2010 FIFA World Cup final to Spain and finished in third place at the Mundial four years later in Brazil.
