Arjen Robben has announced his retirement from football at the age of 35. 

The Dutchman spent almost two decades at the peak of European football, playing for the likes of Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

He released a statement on Thursday afternoon, detailing his decision. 

"I have been thinking a lot over the past few weeks. As everyone knows, I consciously took the time to make an informed decision about my future after my last Bayern Munich match," Robben wrote.

"I [have] decided to put an end to my career as a professional soccer player.

"It is without doubt the hardest decision I have had to make in my career. A decision where 'heart' and 'mind' collided.

"The love for the game and the conviction that you can still handle the whole world, as opposed to the reality that not everything runs the way you want and you are no longer the 16-year-old boy, who had no idea what an injury meant. 

"At the moment I am fit and healthy and as a fan of many other sports I would like to keep it that way for the future. I will therefore stop definitively, but it is good that way."

Robben's 19-year career began at Groningen way back in 2000. He came through the academy there before moving to PSV Eindhoven 2002, where he won the Eredivisie. 

That was his first of 28 trophies. At the age of 21, the winger moved to Chelsea and found plenty of success in London.

He played at Stamford Bridge for just three seasons but was a real fan favourite, winning two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup. 

In 2007 the Dutchman joined Madrid and won La Liga at the end of his first campaign. His spell at the Bernabeu was also short and he left after just two years. 

It's a decision he certainly won't regret, because Robben joined Bayern, playing in Germany for 10 seasons. 

He won eight Bundesliga titles, five German Cups and the Champions League. 

In his prime, Robben was unstoppable and was often seen cutting in from the wing to launch a curling effort into the top corner. We'll certainly miss that. 

Enjoy your retirement, Robben!