Former youth defender of Brighton, Lars Dendonker has been forced into early retirement from football at age 22.
Lars Dendonker took the bold move to retire from football after he was diagnosed with a heart condition.
The ex-Brighton and Hove Albion youngster appeared to have a promising future in football, having been a regular starter for Belgian and English youth teams.
However, after getting acquainted with his health concerns, he has opted not to risk his health further in the round leather game.
Lars Dendonker statement on his retirement from football
The 22-year-old made the announcement regarding his retirement with an emotional statement on his instagram account.
Lars Dendonker said his childhood dream was to become a professional footballer, but that dream has been truncated due to his health condition.
He wrote: “As a child, I only had one dream. Become a professional football player.
”But my professional career and dream has come to a very early end. Because of my heart condition, I have decided to stop playing because of my own health”.
The Belgian youngster also expressed that this decision he has taken was and will be the hardest in his entire life.
Dendonker shared on Instagram: “This was and will be the hardest decision ever in my life. But there is no going back and I have to look in the future. This will take time to process.”
The retired footballer revealed he had “learnt a lot throughout the years and he has also had to sacrifice a lot”, and due to that this decision hurts.
The 22-year-old recalled the amount of years he spent at Club Brugge and Brighton in addition to the loan move at St. Johnstone, where he made his debut.
He added : “11 years at the academy of Club Bruges where I made a lot of friends.
“2 beautiful years with Brighton and a loan move to St. Johnstone where I made my professional debut.”
His debut for Saint Johnstone was in September 2021, starting in a 3-1 win for the Scottish side over Dundee United.
Dendonker ended his heartfelt statement on his Instagram account by sending his appreciation to the players and staff he has worked with during his football career.
The defender wrote: “I want to thank all the players and staff that I have worked with. ❤️”
Lars Dendonker is the youngest of three brothers with his immediate elder brother being Aston Villa and Belgian player Leander Dendonker.
The eldest brother is Andres Dendonker and he played local football before he took up the responsibility of being the agent of his siblings.
Lars Dendonker made 40 appearances in his football career, scoring 1 goal and providing no assist in all competitions.
