A European star has now revealed he put an end to his international football career as he felt he was going to die.
In March 2023, Belgian footballer Toby Alderweireld called time on his international career after making 127 appearances for his country.
His decision, however, was not simply down to the fact that he was in the twilight years of his career but rather a call he made due to health concerns.
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The former Tottenham Hotspur star revealed that he was always open to quitting football, but he was encouraged by his camp to continue.
"During my career I often said that I wanted to quit. If my entourage had been of the same opinion, I would have quit. Nobody understands that, but that has always been in me," the 35-year-old explained, according to Belgian media VRT.
Alderweireld then proceeded to lift the lid on the main reason he decided it was time to walk away from the Belgium national team, a decision he took after joining Royal Antwerp in the 2022/23 season.
"After the lost cup match against Union [Saint Gilloise] I was angry and frustrated," Alderweireld said. "I couldn't sleep that night and went to the club early the next morning to do a strength session.
"Before I left, I took a caffeine pill because I don't like coffee. When I was in the car, my heart suddenly started beating at a rate of a thousand an hour.
"I thought: I'm going to have a heart attack. I'm done for, I'm never going to see my children again. I pulled over, walked into a furniture store and asked if they could call 911.
"It turned out that all the stress made my heart pound. That gave me a panic attack, which made my heart beat even faster. You actually drive yourself crazy. And at a certain point you think you're going to have a heart attack and die."
"That's why I quit the Devils," Alderweireld added. "I had a great time there with 5 major tournaments and was able to close that chapter."
The centre-back spent six years at Spurs, but he also had spells at Ajax Amsterdam, Atletico Madrid, Southampto and Al-Duhail SC.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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