Dries Mertens, one of Belgium’s most dazzling football exports, has called time on a 20-year professional career that glittered from the Netherlands to Napoli, and most recently Istanbul.
The 38-year-old forward announced his retirement on Tuesday, following the expiration of his contract with Turkish champions Galatasaray.
But before officially stepping away, Mertens will make one last appearance – on July 3 – for a farewell match honoring former Napoli teammate Marek Hamsik.
“I’ve retired, but I’ll put on my boots one last time for you. You’ll always be my captain,” Mertens said in an emotional tribute that captured the enduring bond between the two Napoli legends.
From underdog to icon
Mertens’ football journey began in the Dutch second tier with AGOVV Apeldoorn, where his technical flair and eye for goal earned a move to FC Utrecht and then PSV Eindhoven.
But it was in Naples where he transcended mere stardom.
Signing with Napoli in 2013, Mertens became the club’s all-time top scorer with 148 goals in 397 matches.
Add in 90 assists, and his name became etched alongside the city’s greatest – Maradona and Hamsik included.
He won three major trophies with Napoli and spearheaded their attacking line with relentless creativity and clinical finishing.
Golden chapter in Türkiye
In 2022, Mertens crossed the Bosporus to join Galatasaray.
Despite arriving at the twilight of his career, he proved to be a crucial cog in the team’s back-to-back Süper Lig title wins in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
In 136 appearances, Mertens tallied 25 goals and 44 assists, delighting Istanbul crowds with his intelligence, tireless pressing and signature finesse.
Time to go home
Speaking in a farewell interview on Galatasaray’s YouTube channel, Mertens said the decision to retire was fueled by a desire to be more present with his family.
“Football gave me everything. Now it’s time to give back to my family,” he said.
Mertens’ final curtain call comes in Slovakia, where he’ll suit up once more for Hamsik’s tribute match – a fitting epilogue for two of Serie A’s finest imports.
Their six-year partnership at Napoli remains one of the club’s most revered eras, both for its chemistry on the field and camaraderie off it.
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