Former Belgium, Manchester City and Anderlecht player Vincent Kompany has announced his retirement from football.
Kompany has officially been named as the head coach of Belgian side Anderlecht.
Kompany, 34, left City at the end of the 2018/19 season after making 360 appearances across all competitions in order to return to his boyhood club.
Arriving from Hamburg in 2008 for a fee of around £6m, Kompany went on to win four top-flight titles as well as two FA Cups, four League Cups and two Community Shields in 11 years – becoming a City legend in the process.
“I want to fully commit to my role as a coach and need 100 per cent of my time and focus for it,” Kompany told the Anderlecht club website. “That’s why I’m quitting as a football player. Our ambition and our hunger remains the same.
“I want to stay with the club for at least four seasons and prove that Anderlecht can play a modern style of football, with results. I want to thank Franky (co-manager Frank Vercauteren) for all his help.”
Anderlecht chief executive Karel Van Eetvelt added: “As everybody knows, this was always the plan.
“It might have come a little sooner than expected, but Vincent committing himself for another four seasons to the club is great news for the club, our supporters and our players.”
