Former Spurs goalkeeper Michel Vorm retires at 37

LONDON – Former Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City goalkeeper Michel Vorm announced his retirement from the sport on Monday, ending his 15th birthday career year

Vorm, 37, started his career at Dutch club Utrecht in 2005 before moving to Swansea in 2011, where he won the League Cup

The former Netherlands international spent six seasons with Spurs, mostly as a replacement for Hugo Lloris, before leaving the north London club when his contract expired last season

« I have decided to retire from professional football, » Vorm said on Instagram here « I am grateful to play for all of these clubs and honored to have been able to represent my country in international tournaments »

Dear footballers and fans, I have decided to retire from professional football I could not imagine as a small child growing up in Nieuwegein that it was possible to sign my first professional contract at @fc_utrecht, to make my debut professionals at @fcdenbosch (on loan) and come back to FC Utrecht to win the game-offs and play European football And if that wasn’t enough I got the opportunity to play in the Premier League for @swansofficial (and being part of their history by winning their very first point in the Premier League) Playing with and against the best players around me gave me the opportunity to continue to develop and to sign for @spursofficial and allowed me to do part of their history and especially of the (incredible) road to the Champions League final I am grateful to play for all these clubs and honored to have been able to represent my country in international tournaments.Being part of such a great history of my country is something that I am also very grateful for A Gold Medal in the Championship Europe U21 with @officialknvb, a silver medal at the 2010 World Cup and a bronze medal at the 2014 World Cup… and played on this last World Cup;) During this trip, j ‘ve played (and coached) with the best of the best players and coaches in the world Besides the talent of the players and coaches, I also had the privilege of knowing the person behind them To each of you: Thank you !! Thank you for the joy of playing, the (life) lessons, the support, the trust and achieving the goals together. Fans: Thank you! Keep supporting, even though we live in a time when it becomes difficult to support the club and it has to be done from a distance, but whatever the distance believe me that as a player you the fans, give us the energy to make the impossible, possible For my family; Dad, mom, my brothers and sisters I want to thank you for your support on this trip, without you it was not possible And of course Daisy and the kids You were there through the good times and the bad love for that ❤️ Thank you for this chapter

Michel Vorm, Tottenham Hotspur FC, Swansea City AFC, FC Utrecht, Netherlands national football team, Premier League, goalkeeper