Adieu - Van Nisterlooy!

Former Manchester United star Ruud Van Nistelrooy has anounced his retirement from football on Monday. The Dutchman who made 659 appearances and scored 328 goal in his career is unarguably regarded as one of the best strikers in the world of football .

Van Nistelrooy has been included in the FIFA 100 list by the legend Pele . He has also been the top scorer in the Champions League during the years – 20001-02 , 2002-03 and 2004-05 .

“Yesterday I played my last match as a professional,” the 35-year-old Malaga player told a news conference.

“I think the moment has come for me to stop playing football – I have reached my physical limit,” the Dutchman added.

“But there could be no better way to say goodbye than this, in a euphoric moment for the club,” which on Sunday won a place in next season’s Champion’s League with a fourth-place finish in Spain’s La Liga.

Van Nistelrooy, was currently playing with Malaga, where he had a troublesome year in Spain . He scored only five times in 35 appearances. Though he was instrumental in ensuring Malaga a champions league spot, for the first time in their history, he felt he has reached his limit as a player. His last International appearance was against Hungary on 29th March, 2011. He even scored a goal in that game coming in as a substitute for Dirt Kuyt.

Van Nistelrooy had a transcendent career. During his two decades in world football he is the second highest goal scorer in champions league, behind his former Real Madrid teammate Raul . Van Nistelrooy is best remebered for his 219 games he played at Manchester United, scoring 150 goals .

He started his career in 1992 for FC Den Bosch, a club which was founded 46 years ago and plays in the second division football in Netherlands today .

Other teams that Van Nistelrooy played during his prolific career includes Heerenveen, PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Real Madrid , Hamburg and Malaga .

Let us have a look at his Top 20 goals – :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeU9qFsDd2E