Arjen Robben last played for Netherlands in 2017. Getty Images
Arjen Robben has refused to rule out returning to play for Netherlands after announcing a u-turn on his decision to retire from football, but has said his attempt at playing again depends on his fitness.
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Robben has agreed a one-year contract at Eredivisie side FC Groningen, the club he started out at in 2000, after initially retiring from football last year.
And the Dutch winger, who played in three World Cups and three European Championships, said he did not want to get ahead of himself when asked about a comeback at a news conference on Sunday.
"Let's start at the beginning first. The goal is clear: group training, then one match and after that more matches in a row. But I don't get ahead of things. The European Championship is not on the table now," Robben said, with Euro 2020 postponed until next summer because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Robben, 36, enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Bayern Munich from 2009-19, winning eight league titles as well as scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final victory over Borussia Dortmund in 2013.
After retiring in 2019, Robben said on Sunday that he decided in May this year about reversing the move and he had been working on his fitness since then.
The former PSV Eindhoven, Chelsea and Real Madrid winger said he did not miss football upon retiring but "six months after it started to tickle again. Then came the coronavirus and you start to miss the big games, working towards those games. Those big games are the ones that stand out."
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He added: "I want to make clear: it is not a comeback yet, it is an attempt to come back. It can be zero games, it can be a lot of games.
"I have been in training for five or six weeks now. Getting fitter and fitter. I am on the right course to get fit enough to play again. And I have to become fitter before I can play but I feel good about it.
"It can grow to something very good here."
On choosing Groningen as the club to make his return, Robben said: "My love for the club. We are coming home. I have only played two years here. This is where we come from, where we grew up. This is home."
Source: espn.co.uk