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Former Manchester United star Marouane Fellaini has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 36. The former Belgium international last turned out in the Chinese Super League for Shandong Luneng.
Marouane Fellaini enjoyed a successful stint in the Premier League and with the Belgium national team. The lanky midfielder made 667 appearances in his professional career, winning nine trophies while scoring 136 goals and providing 63 assists.
Fellaini first came into prominence playing under David Moyes at Everton between 2008 and 2013, after he made a name for himself in Belgium. Born to Moroccan parents, he played for Morocco's U-20 side before switching to play for the senior Belgium national team.
The midfielder joined Manchester United after Moyes moved to Old Trafford, reuniting with his former manager. He played under Louis Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole-Gunnar Solskjaer at the club before leaving in January 2019.
Marouane Fellaini won four titles in his time at Old Trafford and added another, the Chinese Super League, with Shandong Luneng in 2021. His last match for the Chinese side was the final of the Chinese FA Cup, which they lost to Shanghai Shenhua in November 2023.
Fellaini amassed 87 appearances for Belgium between 2007 and 2019. He appeared in the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018, and also represented them in Euro 2016.
Marouane Fellaini becomes latest member of Belgium's Golden generation to retire
For many years, Belgium were not considered amongst the elite teams in international football. This changed in the 21st century after emergence of a talented group of players, some of whom have retired. The likes of Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne and Yannick Ferreira-Carrasco were from this class, and still play actively.
Marouane Fellaini has now joined Eden Hazard and Vincent Kompany in retiring from professional football. The former retired in 2023, while the latter now manages Premier League outfit Burnley.
Fellaini was the scorer of one of his country's most memorable World Cup goals, in their 3-2 comeback win over Japan in 2018. While he played, he helped Belgium reach the number one ranking in world football, and they came third in the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
