#ARGEN ROBBENS PROFESSIONAL#

“I still have close ties with my home town club. “What’s certain is that I will return to the Netherlands after I retire – to Groningen,” he told German sports magazine kicker last year. But he is hoping to move closer to where it all started soon after he eventually hangs up his boots. Robben is not sure what he will do once his career as a player ends, or when that will even be.

#ARGEN ROBBENS PROFESSIONAL#

The Spaniard said that only one or two players he had met during his career were as professional as Robben. In 2014 Bayern sporting director Matthias Sammer said that Robben was the “perfect example” of how an older player can still develop, while former Bayern boss Pep Guardiola joked that he was “in love” with the Dutchman because of his “unbelievable mentality”. There’s always so much to improve, no matter your age.” These days you have guys who are 19 or 20 and they’ve played their first game and they feel they’ve made it. “This is something I miss a little with the younger generation. But it’s also very important to be critical of yourself. “Most managers think about the team process – and so you have to improve things on your own,” he told The Guardian in 2015. Robben has consistently improved his game to stay at the top, so it’s perhaps no surprise to learn of his relentless powers of self-motivation. “Fourteen years is a long time,” he said of his international career. After scoring twice against Sweden, he brought to an end a glittering career with the Netherlands during which he registered 37 goals in 96 games, helping his country to finish as runners-up at the 2010 World Cup and third in the 2014 edition. Robben often seemed to return better than before, and he made a reference to his injury issues when he retired from international football in October 2017. In 2009, he began working with an osteopath, and while he has had further setbacks, he believes that getting a better understanding of his body helped him achieve great success since then. It’s arguable that Robben could have won the Ballon d’Or – the top individual prize in football – if it wasn’t for the injury problems that dogged him earlier in his career. “The best thing about football and sport in general, is that if you suffer a big disappointment then there is no better feeling than coming back the following year and doing well,” Robben told The Guardian. However, he would soon put those lows behind him in spectacular style. Robben missed a spot-kick in extra-time before Bayern eventually lost in a shootout.

As a result of a hamstring problem, his first start came in the last 16 against Slovakia, and he netted in both that match and a semi-final victory over Uruguay.įor Bayern, he saw a crucial penalty saved in a 1-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund in a thrilling 2011/12 title battle, and just weeks later worse was to come when Bayern hosted Chelsea in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final. Robben missed a good chance in the 2010 World Cup final against Spain, but it’s worth remembering that his brilliant performances helped get an unfancied Dutch side that far. When you’re such a successful player, it’s inevitable that you will experience some lows along the way.

Argen robbens