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Dries Mertens confirms retirement after Galatasaray exit as ex-Napoli star set to bow out with final clash involving ex-Man Utd striker Edinson Cavani and Liverpool legend Martin Skrtel

<p>Mertens officially announced his retirement from professional football in a video message posted on social media. The 28-year-old forward, who recently parted ways with Galatasaray, will play his final match during Marek Hamsik’s jubilee event in Bratislava.</p>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<p>Mertens exits the professional sport after a decorated career across European leagues. He began with Utrecht before starring at PSV, and then became Napoli's all-time top scorer with 148 goals in 397 appearances. Closing out his career with a three-season tenure at Galatasaray, he helped the team win the Super Lig title three times along with a Turkish Cup and a Super Cup.</p><p>Internationally, Mertens played a key role in Belgium’s golden generation, earning 109 caps and scoring 21 goals between 2011 and 2022.</p>

THE BIGGER PICTURE

<p>Mertens said on playing with Hamsik in his retirement video: "I can't wait to play the last match with you. I have stopped playing football but for the last time, I will put on my shoes just for you. For me, you will always remain my captain and the strongest man I have played with."</p>

WHAT MERTENS SAID

<p>According to <a href="https://www.trhaber.com/spor/marek-hamsik-in-jubile-maci-ne-zaman-trabzonspor-dan-hangi-oyuncular-var-h915108.html" target="_blank">TRHaber</a>, Mertens will feature in the “Foreigners XI” alongside players such as Edinson Cavani, Pepe Reina, Jose Callejon, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Diego Maradona Jr. They will face a Slovakia XI including Martin Skrtel, Milan Skriniar, and Stanislav Lobotka. Celebrating Hamsik's outstanding career with Napoli and Trabzonspor, the game will take place in Bratislava in July.</p>

WHAT NEXT?

Dries Mertens confirms retirement after Galatasaray exit as ex-Napoli star set to bow out with final clash involving ex-Man Utd striker Edinson Cavani and Liverpool legend Martin Skrtel | Goal.com

Dries Mertens is hanging up his boots after a storied career but still has a business left to do with former Napoli captain Hamsik and other stars.