Former Liverpool legendary midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum officially announce Al Etiffaq departure..

Former Liverpool legendary Netherlands international midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has announced his departure from Al Ettifaq on Thursday via his official Instagram account.

In his farewell statement, Wijnaldum expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Al Ettifaq fans, coaching staff, and management, writing: "I recently reached a major milestone, making my 100th appearance for Al Ettifaq in this shirt. However, this story has come to an end."

"Grateful for every moment, every challenge, and every bit of support along the way. It has been an incredible journey to represent this club, and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together."

"Thank you to my teammates, coaches, staff, and especially the fans who have always supported us. God bless."

Furthermore, according to a report from Egyptian online media outlet WinWin's resident renowned Liverpool team correspondent Ismael Mahmoud, Wijnaldum decided not to renew his contract with Al Ettifaq after it expired this summer due to changes in club policy and the departure of former Liverpool coaching staff members close to him.

Furthermore, in his bid to regain his place in the Netherlands national team for the first time since 2024, Wijnaldum has not ruled out a return to European leagues.

Previously, there were rumours alleging that he might return to his former club in his youth academy days, Sparta Rotterdam, but this remains unconfirmed. Of course, the possibility of Wijnaldum retiring cannot be ruled out either.

Following Wijnaldum's departure, it means that Al Ettifaq currently do not have former Liverpool players or staff in their club anymore.

About Georginio Wijnaldum

Born on November 11, 1990, in Rotterdam, Netherlands, the 35-year-old Wijnaldum is 1.75 meters tall and primarily plays as a center midfielder, but can also play as an attacking midfielder or defensive midfielder. He holds dual Dutch and Surinamese citizenship. He has a younger brother, Giliano, and a half-brother, Rajiv Van La Parra. All three brothers are professional footballers. His cousin, Royston Drenthe, is a former Real Madrid defender.

Wijnaldum joined the Sparta Rotterdam youth academy at the age of six and moved to the Feyenoord youth academy at 14, before making his Feyenoord first-team debut in April 2007, breaking the record by becoming the Feyenoord youngest first-team player to appear in a match. He also helped the team win one KNVB Cup.

In July 2011, Wijnaldum joined PSV Eindhoven for €5 million.

After becoming a member of the Lampen, Wijnaldum quickly established himself as a key player in the first-team, even leading the team to one Eredivisie title, one KNVB Cup, and one Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup).

In July 2015, Wijnaldum moved to Newcastle United for £14.5 million. Although he couldn't help the Magpies avoid relegation, he was still highly praised for consistently scoring in away games.

After Newcastle United's relegation, Wijnaldum joined Liverpool the following July for £25 million.

During his five-year spell with the Reds, Wijnaldum, who developed a strong understanding with captain Jordan Henderson, rose to prominence as one of the world's best midfielders, showcasing his exceptional attacking and defensive abilities.

As one of the vice-captains, Wijnaldum led the team to one Premier League title, one UEFA Champions League title, one UEFA Super Cup title, and one FIFA Club World Cup title.

After his contract expired in the summer of 2021, Wijnaldum joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer. However, less than half a season later, he began to have disagreements with the club due to insufficient playing time.

Despite this, he still won a Ligue 1 title with the team.

The following summer, Wijnaldum was loaned-out to Roma. Initially plagued by injuries, he still helped the team reach the UEFA Europa League final.

In September 2023, Wijnaldum joined Al Ettifaq for €10 million.

During his three-year spell with Al Ettifaq, Wijnaldum made 101 appearances for the Saudi Pro League powerhouse in all competitions, scoring 38 goals and providing 17 assists, where he helped the team reach the Saudi King's Cup Round of 16s twice and the Gulf Cup Champions League semi-finals once.

Image source: Internet / WinWin