Arjen Robben will try to make a comeback with his home club FC Groningen.
The 36-year-old, who had played 96 caps from the Netherlands, announced his retirement almost a year ago after a 19-year career that started at the Academy in Groningen.
Robben played for PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid and ended his career at Bayern Munich – he won trophies in the Netherlands, England, Spain and Germany – and finished second in 2010 at the World Cup.
He won the Champions League with Bayern in 2012/13 – and scored the winning goal – and said in a video on Groningen’s social channels on Saturday that his return would be “a tough physical challenge, but I’ll try!”.
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In an open letter to football fans around the world and fans of Groningen, Robben said: “Dear football fans and Groningen fans, I was 12 years old when I started playing at the Groningen Youth Academy.
“When I was 16, I made my home debut against Feyenoord. After two years I switched to PSV. After a wonderful adventure of 18 years, we return to Groningen.
“We are coming home in this difficult time of crisis, which also affects FC Groningen. It’s great to see how everyone supports the club. I also supported the club and thought about what else I could do for our club.
“I’ve had a lot of conversations with club staff in the past few weeks and maybe more than anything I’ve listened to our supporters: ‘Arjen, follow your heart’.
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“A comeback as a Groninger player – I started playing with this idea and now I have made it my business!
“I want to celebrate my comeback as a football player, as a player from Groningen. I’m currently not sure if it will happen. I am sure that my drive and my motivation will lie 100 percent.
“It’s going to be a tough physical challenge, but I’ll try! I will work hard and if everything feels right, I will join the team for the first training session of the new season.
“I hope to see everyone as soon as possible. Because my dream is to play in a Groningen jersey. We are not there yet, but you can dream. I hope to see you soon.”
This story originally appeared on Sky Sports and is reproduced with permission.
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