Former Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele ‘retires from football aged just 34’

Former Tottenham midfielder Mousa Dembele appears to have retired from football aged just 34, with reports claiming that he has decided to reject a contract extension from Chinese club Guangzhou FC.

There has been no formal announcement from the player or his camp, but HLN in Belgium have said that Dembele has returned home to Antwerp with his young children, and plans to spend more time with them.

It is believed that he could have penned an extension to continue his career but, for now at least, the ex-Spurs favourite looks to have hung up his boots.

Dembele joined Guangzhou in 2019 after his seven-year stint in north London, and enjoyed the best years of his career under Mauricio Pochettino.

He also played 82 games for Belgium on the international stage, and scored five goals. Memorably, he was fielded at two World Cups and Euro 2016, but chose to step away from representing his country in 2019.

His time in the sport began with Germinal Beerschot, before he moved to Willem II and AZ Alkmaar. There, he made an impression when winning the Eredivisie and Dutch Supercut, with Fulham moving for him in 2012.