Former Manchester United and Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini will retire from football at the end of Shandong Taishan’s season, the Chinese club have announced.
Shandong will face Henan FC on Saturday as Chinese Super League season draws to a close.
Head coach Choi Kang-hee confirmed the 35-year-old midfielder’s impending retirement.
‘Though with some regret, I respect his decision to retire. He is a very great player,’ Choi said, as reported by the Chinese news agency Xinhua. ‘Maybe due to his age, his every post-game recovery was rather painstaking, which usually took one day or two.’
Fellaini has spent the last five seasons with Shandong, after his five-and-a-half year spell at Man United came to an end in 2019.
Former Manchester United midfielder Marouane Fellaini is to retire from professional football
Fellaini has spent the last five seasons playing for Shandong in the Chinese Super League
Shandong Taishan have announced they will hold a farewell ceremony for Fellaini on Saturday
Shandong, who are assured of second place and AFC Champions League qualification next season, confirmed they will hold a farewell ceremony for Fellaini after the match.
‘In the past years, Fellaini has ignited our home atmosphere with goals and victories time and time again,’ a club statement read.
‘In this final battle, let us salute him and see him off with applause and cheers. A superstar when he came, a legend when he left.’
The midfielder will officially end his career after the Chinese FA Cup and AFC Champions League conclude.
Shandong will feature in the Chinese FA Cup final on November 25 and are involved in the group stage of the Champions League.
Fellaini has scored 50 goals in 139 appearances for Shandong.
The midfielder had a mixed spell at Man United after being signed by David Moyes from for £27million in 2013.
Fellaini was part of Man United’s Europa League winning team back in the 2017 season
The Belgian had been a favourite of Jose Mourinho during his time in charge of Man United
Fellaini will officially retire after the Chinese FA Cup and AFC Champions League conclude
He struggled to win over the Old Trafford crowd with his ungainly style but managed to score some important goals and won the FA Cup, Europa League and League Cup during his time at the club.
Fellaini ended up being United’s sole summer signing in a season which the club finished seventh and Moyes was sacked after just 10 months in charge.
Moyes previously broke Everton’s transfer record to bring Fellaini to Goodison Park for £15m from Standard Liege in September 2008.
Fellaini had a big admirer in Jose Mourinho with the former Man United boss having used him as a Plan B option when United were struggling to score.
He was also part of the Belgium side which finished third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, in an international career that saw him score 18 goals in 87 caps.
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