Having not played football since Galatasaray opted against renewing his contract in June, Dries Mertens announced his retirement in a unique way.
Napoli‘s all-time top scorer was back in his home town of Leuven attending a music festival when he jumped aboard an inflatable boat and crowd surfed to the stage.
Upon his arrival, he told his countrymen in Belgium: “I’m retired. I’ve stopped playing football.”
Later when speaking to local TV, he said he wanted to travel the world, commenting: “Look, I’m really enjoying my free time with Kat, but I don’t know.
“I love adventures, so maybe if another adventure comes along. But I really want to travel with Kat.
“We’re also expecting our second child. We’re happy: here in Leuven and Naples. Life is beautiful, and we’re having a blast.
“For the next two or three years, I really want to enjoy life to the fullest. I’d like to travel the world. To Australia and New Zealand. So that afterward, I can give Ciro the stability that a child needs. But whatever happens, I’m really looking forward to it.”
Mertens is 38 at the time of writing, and was recently named an honorary citizen of Napoli, where he became the club’s all-time top scorer, surpassing the legendary Diego Maradona with 148 goals.
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