Wesley Sneijder bows out as one of greatest Dutch players to grace football

Dutch footballer Wesley Sneijder has called an end to a stellar career with the Netherlands national side following the team's 2-1 victory over Peru in an international friendly on Thursday, September 6.

The attacking midfielder, who plies his trade in Qatar with Al-Gharafa, made his senior debut for the Dutch national side in 2003 at the age of 19. He went on to represent his country on 134 occasions, making him the highest-capped player in Netherlands history.

He took his side to the final of the 2010 World Cup and finished the tournament with 5 goals, joint top-scorer alongside Thomas Muller, Diego Forlan, and David Villa.

The Dutchman scored 31 goals in his 134 appearances for his country. His send-off was an unusual one. Sneijder sat on a sofa with his family in the middle of the Amsterdam Arena, watching a television which played congratulatory messages from his teammates and managers.

The crowd put up banners of their hero and sang to add to the festivities. Following the game, the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid star said, "It's over, it's done. My last match in the orange shirt. Everything comes to an end."

Sneijder will be remembered as one of the greats of Dutch football who couldn't quite make the transition from being a very good player to being one of the best of his generation.