Former Chelsea player and German World Cup winner retires
In a surprise move, former Chelsea player and German World Cup winner Andre Schurrle announced his retirement from football this week.
A member of a very strong Borussia Dortmund team, Schurrle decided at the age of 29 that it was time to hang up his boots. Even with years left to continue playing at the top of the game, Schurrle decided to walk away after stating he doesn’t "need the applause anymore".
Chelsea may have seen a former player retire but now turn their attention to the final two rounds of the Premier League season. The Blues face league winners Liverpool on the penultimate day of the season and football fans are anticipating the big match. Fans can use the William Hill promo code to get a bet bonus before wagering on the team they believe will win the match.
Schurrle was under contract for one more season at Borussia Dortmund. However, the club cancelled his contract to allow him the chance to move into other pursuits. A product of Mainz’s youth academy, Schurrle played for some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Bayer Leverkusen, Chelsea, and Borussia Dortmund.
From Mainz to World Cup winner
After bursting onto the scene with Mainz between 2009 and 2011, where he scored 20 goals in 66 games, Schurrle was snapped up by Bayer Leverkusen.
Further success at the club and international levels with Germany led to an £18 million transfer to Chelsea. It was from that point that Schurrle’s mercurial rise in the world of football slowed down.
Chelsea are gearing up for a big end of the season as they fight for a top-four Premier League finish. The Blues visit Liverpool with the team’s Champions League qualification on the line and fans can get the Draftkings bet bonus before wagering on the team they believe will win.
In a statement after announcing his departure from the game, Schurrle claimed “The depths became deeper and the highlights less and less”. Although Schurrle no longer needed the applause, he achieved a World Cup winner’s medal, a piece of silverware that all footballers dream of winning. He scored twice in Germany’s famous 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in 2014, leaving his mark on the famous game.
The journey to the end
It appears Schurrle is headed down a path that doesn’t involve playing football. After more than a decade of playing professionally, the German will pursue other interests.
Schurrle was under contract with Borussia Dortmund, having signed with the club in 2016 from Wolfsburg. After two seasons at Signal Iduna Park, he was loaned out to Premier League club Fulham in 2018-2019. In spite of scoring six goals in 25 games, Fulham suffered relegation.
Deemed surplus to requirements at Borussia Dortmund ahead of the 2019-2020 campaign, Schurrle was again loaned out, but this time to Russia’s Spartak Moscow. He scored two goals in 18 games but suffered an injury in midseason that kept him on the sidelines for the remainder of the term.
Along with winning the World Cup with Germany, Schurrle lifted the Premier League title with Chelsea and a German Cup with both Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund.
