Chelsea captain Reece James and Blues’ former goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois have both reacted to Marco van Ginkel’s retirement announcement on social media. The 33-year-old made the decision to hang up his boots, having last played for Boavista in Portugal, without making any appearances this season.
At just 33, it is arguably an early retirement for the midfielder, who was widely expected to succeed at Stamford Bridge before his eventual exit. Van Ginkel posted on Instagram:
“After 16 years, I’m saying goodbye to professional football. A journey filled with highs and lows, lessons learned and memories I’ll cherish forever. Thanks to everyone who stood by me along the way. Proud of the past. Ready for the next chapter.”
There were tributes from his former Chelsea teammates and other footballers. Reece James responded with a comment that wished Van Ginkel “good luck in the next chapter”. Meanwhile, Thibaut Courtois congratulated the former midfielder on his career.
Chelsea notably payed £8 million for his services when he was only just 21 years old. This came after he had shown his ability in midfield, scoring 23 goals from 111 games. However, a heavy ACL injury derailed his career back in 2013, and he eventually managed to make just four appearances for the Blues’ first-team.
Van Ginkel eventually left Stamford Bridge on loan to other clubs, including AC Milan, Stoke City, and PSV. However, he dealt with regular injuries, only truly showing his quality while in the Netherlands with PSV. He notably won two Eredivisie titles with the Dutch outfit in 2016 and 2018, even earning the captain’s armband in the latter season at the club. However, injuries affected him again, and he was forced to do another ACL surgery in 2018.
He went on to join PSV on a permanent move in 2021, winning two Super Cups and one KNVB Cup during his time there. However, after 45 appearances for Vitesse and a short spell at Boavista, the 33-year-old has hung up his boots.
Promising Chelsea Youngsters Whose Careers Were Derailed by Injuries
Marco van Ginkel is only one of many young players at Chelsea whose careers were derailed due to persistent injury setbacks. The Blues have had a notable history of signing young players and bringing talent through Cobham over the years. However, injuries have hampered several of these players.
Sam Hutchinson is an example of one such player who began his career at the club when he was nine, but prolonged spells in the doctor’s office did not let his potential shine. Marko Marin is another player who was expected to succeed at the club, but failed to do so, due to recurring injuries. Kurt Zouma is perhaps the best of the bunch, but even he failed to discover his pre-injury form after an ACL rupture in 2016.
It is a concerning situation for the Blues now, as their recruitment focus has been on young players on long-term contracts. The higher-ups at the Bridge will hope for minimal injury derailments as they hope to get a return on their investment into talent.