Adelaide United midfielder Andy Slory has decided to retire from professional football, effective immediately.
Adelaide United midfielder Andy Slory has decided to retire from professional football, effective immediately.
Slory-s decision to hang up his boots comes after he conveyed to the Reds his desire to return to the Netherlands to start a new business venture.
Signing with Adelaide United in the January transfer window earlier this year after a difficult time playing in Bulgaria, Slory came to Australia to rediscover his love and happiness for the game.
However, after 11 appearances for the Reds, Slory states it is a decision he has wrestled with for months and that he no longer has the passion and drive to continue playing at the professional level.
“I want to thank Rini (Coolen), the club and particularly the football department because I have developed a really good relationship with them,” Slory said.
“I owe a lot to Rini for getting me to Australia because he wanted me to come here and help me to get my love of the game back.”
“Now I just want to go a different way and I want to thank everyone at the club for giving me such a wonderful time and I look forward to coming back here one day to watch the team play.”
“But nobody can change my mind and I-ve thought about it and it-s been playing on my mind for a very long time, and I-ve made a decision to go back to my family and friends in Holland.”
Having given Slory an opportunity to enjoy his football again by inviting him to Adelaide, Rini Coolen accepts Slory-s decision, the Reds Coach and the club allowing him to return home.
“Andy is a very good footballer. I still believe he can be one of the best players in the league and he is one of those players that has individual qualities who can change and decide a game,” Coolen said.
“I fully respect his decision, I know it is one he has not taken lightly and he goes with mine and the club-s best wishes.”
“That-s one of the reasons why he came to Australia, to change his feeling about football and bring back his happiness for the game because every player has to be happy on the training pitch and where they are in life,” Coolen said.
“He came here for that reason and I think it was a great opportunity for him to be here and change that mindset and it worked well initially, but now it-s at the stage where he has been assessing what he wants to do and has made the decision that his future is back in Holland.”
“We have left it up to Andy with what he wants to do and now we have to move on because these things are all a part of football.”
The 29 year old has had a decorated playing career, which included representing the Dutch national team and a professional career that started with Telstar in 2000 and saw him playing at clubs in Holland, England, Bulgaria and most recently Adelaide United in the Hyundai A-League.
