At 33 years old, and after a 16-year career marked by titles, a dream transfer to Chelsea, and a nightmare of injuries, Marco van Ginkel announced the end of his career as a professional footballer. The former Dutch international midfielder, who represented Boavista in the second half of last season, confessed to having feared for his future. The decision to hang up his boots was announced last week but had been considered for some time. The last official match of the midfielder was on May 17, 2025, playing for the Panthers against Arouca. 'For me, it had been dragging on for a while,' the former player revealed in an interview with ESPN. 'I wanted to wait until the winter period, but there wasn't much interest anymore.' After turning down an offer from Indonesia in the summer, the final decision was made in February. 'It was a strange feeling. In a way, special: I dedicated myself to football from a young age,' he stated, admitting that adapting to his new life is still a challenge. 'I miss being on the field, the day-to-day with the group. Life oriented around the weekend. Now I have to find my way, doing other things I enjoy.' Van Ginkel's career, which began at Vitesse, was marked by high moments, such as his professional debut, being called up to the Netherlands national team, and winning two championships with PSV. 'I will never forget those memories,' he assures. His talent led him to a multimillion-dollar transfer to Chelsea, where he was coached by José Mourinho in the 2013/14 season. 'He is a special man, very passionate. Direct. Doesn't know how to lose. But he could also be very calm among the players and, from time to time, he could lose it,' Van Ginkel recalled, who shared the locker room in London with stars like Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, Romelu Lukaku, Frank Lampard, and Didier Drogba. Of all, it was John Terry who left the biggest mark on him: 'He was the true leader. Lampard is a coach now, Terry is not. I would have expected the opposite.' However, misfortune knocked on his door shortly after his arrival in England, with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament. 'That was a red line in my career. It was difficult, but it shapes us,' he admitted. What followed was a long period of trial. After loans to Milan and Stoke City, he returned to the Netherlands to represent PSV, still under contract with Chelsea. In 2018, it was discovered that he had played for a long time without the anterior cruciate ligament. The reconstruction surgery in July that year was complicated by a severe and rare infection in the knee, which forced him to undergo further surgeries and kept him off the pitch for 957 days, from June 2018 to January 2021. 'There were moments when I was really at rock bottom. I try to never show it and always move forward, but there were times when I thought: football is not going to happen for me anymore.' Still, even without the ligament, he experienced one of the most special moments of his career, winning the title with PSV on the last matchday. 'Those are the moments we look back on now and think: this was very special. I wish I could have lived through a few more.' In 2023, he returned to Vitesse, his formative club, but he was no longer the same. 'I was no longer the player I used to be. That knee suffered a lot. At full speed, you lack two or three kilometers per hour,' he explained, before his final adventure in Portugal, playing for Boavista, where he ended his career. The feeling of potential unfulfilled remains. 'My rise was very fast. From Vitesse to the absolute top. Reaching the top is one thing, staying there is another. I adapted quickly to that level. Physically, I was already very advanced,' he concluded. Marco van Ginkel, reflecting on his career, expressed a sense of injustice, although he feels at peace with his 16-year journey, during which he won several trophies: 'Mentally, there weren't many who were at my level.' When asked about what could have been, Van Ginkel admits that the doubt will persist. 'We will never know,' he replied. 'I wish I could have done it one more time. It seems unfair, but I had a sixteen-year career and won many awards. It will always linger somewhere, but I am at peace with that.' As for the future, his plans remain open, but football continues to be a strong possibility. 'I think I can be valuable within a football organization. The possibility of being involved with a club is in my plans. Maybe you will hear about it soon,' he concluded.
Chelsea Van Ginkel remains central to this story.
Chelsea Van Ginkel remains central to this story.
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