Monday, November 24, 2025 - Former Inter Milan defender Zinho Vanheusden has announced his retirement from football.
The 26-year-old has been forced to hang up his boots after
an injury-laden career.
This comes weeks after he suffered his third anterior
cruciate ligament tear while playing for Marbella.
Vanheusden joined Inter at the age of 16 as one of the
hottest prospects on the continent after progressing through Standard Liege's
academy.
He went on to make his debut and only appearance for Belgium
in 2020, but never turned out for the Serie A giants' first team,
largely due to injury problems.Vanheusden later went out on loan back to
Standard Liege, as well as enjoying spells at Genoa and AZ Alkmaar.
In a bid to get his career back on track, he then joined
third-tier Spanish side Marbella on a permanent deal in the summer, but made
just seven appearances before suffering his latest major injury.
On Sunday, November 23, the centre-half announced his
decision to hang up his boots with a touching post on Instagram reading: 'Today
I am making a decision I never thought I would have to make at this age. After
22 years of soccer — from my fourth year until now — my life as a professional
soccer player is coming to an end.
'Football made me who I am today. It gave me a life I never
dared to dream of as a child. From supporting my favourite club for years as a
child with my dad at Sclessin, to then playing a hundred games for it myself,
to scoring for the Ultras and even getting the honour of being a captain here.
It didn’t stop there… I got the opportunity to make my national debut and to
play in Serie A. All things that seemed unreal when I started.
'Besides all that beautiful, the last few years were tough.
Much heavier than I ever seemed. Injuries, operations, injections, medication…
I gave everything to go back, but it got harder every time.
'I was constantly searching for my level, overplayed through
pain too often and lived after every workout or game uncertain about how my
body would react the next day. I kept fighting to be the player I wanted to be,
but every time a new fight came. In my heart I will always want to be a
footballer, but my body has been saying enough for a while now.
'And that’s why — out of respect for myself, for my health
and for my responsibility as a father — I am making this decision. As surreal
as it feels writing this. But I want to be able to walk in my life without
pain, play with my son and enjoy life with my family… I don’t know what it will
be like to get up without football, but I’m going to find out now.'
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