“It is not going well” – Robben is considering hanging up his boots

winger

Arjen Robben

is thinking about hanging up his boots for a second time as he keeps getting pushed down with injuries preventing him from playing for Groningen.

The 37-year-old called it quits by the end of the 2018-19 campaign when was with

; however, he played again for childhood club Groningen.

The reason behind his return was to contribute to his old club’s financial survival in the pandemic to the best of his abilities. Notwithstanding improving the club’s public profile, he has only made two appearances.

Robben sustained a groin injury in the first half of his second game and was sent off, being out of action due to calf problems since October. He is keen on playing for his side but revealed that he might lose in his fight with injuries.

“

I am doing everything I can,

” he said. “

If you don’t get the desired result in the end, you might have to accept it, but it is very difficult.

“How is it going? At the moment, those are the questions you prefer not to answer. It is not going well, it is disappointing. I can’t dress it up more than that.

“I still have problems in both calves. It has gone from one to the other. One of them got better at a certain point, then I started having problems with the other. At the moment it is very difficult. We have to see if there is a chance for things to get better again.

“It's just a very difficult decision. I said at the start: 'I'm going to do everything I can, I'm going to do my best, but I don't know if it will work’.

“At the moment it seems like it is not working, but somewhere the top athlete is still inside me. Giving up is not in my dictionary.

“That is now the phase I am in. I wonder if it is still realistic to keep going, to come back to the pitch and play matches.”

His conscious, however, is clear as he did what he could to get back, but he has to make up his mind.

"

Maybe I will just have to say: it has been great, it is very unfortunate, but at least we have done everything we can. That is just the case. We do everything we can, we put a lot of energy into it, not only me, but everyone within the club.

“At the moment I am not saying that for the full 100 per cent: we are going for it. I am kind of in a phase where I am floating in between.

“I have to take it easy to give it time to heal. But at a certain point, I will have to make a choice: if we continue with this, you have to make a plan how the recovery will work out. There will be more clarity in a few weeks.”

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