Jan Vertonghen retires from international football after 157 caps

Jan Vertonghen has announced his retirement from the Belgium national team after 157 caps. The 37-year-old defender made the announcement via Instagram on Friday afternoon. "Thanks for all the memories. I have lived my dream," he said.

Vertonghen made his debut for the Red Devils in 2007 at the age of 20, in a 2-1 European Championship qualifier defeat to Portugal. Belgium failed to qualify for the 2008 and 2012 European Championships, as well as the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

In 2014, the team qualified for a major tournament for the first time in 12 years. Under Marc Wilmots, they reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Brazil, where they lost 2-0 to eventual finalists Argentina.

Vertonghen and the Devils have since qualified for every major international tournament. Under Roberto Martinez, they achieved Belgium's best ever result, reaching the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Vertonghen's last major tournament, this summer's European Championships in Germany, ended on a sour note. Belgium lost to France in the last 16, with the defender scoring the decisive own goal. With 157 appearances, he is the country's most-capped player.

He also has a rich club career behind him, having played for the likes of Ajax, Tottenham and Benfica. Whether he will retire from football altogether remains to be seen. His contract with Anderlecht expired at the end of June.

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