Former Brighton player Lars Dendoncker retires due to heart condition

Lars Dendoncker decided to hang up his boots because of the heart condition.

The Belgian defender, who joined Albion in 2020 from Club Brugge, made the announcement last night on his Instagram.

He said: “Hi everyone, where do I start.

“As a child, I only had one dream. Become a professional football player. But my professional career and dream has come to a very early end.

“Because of my heart condition, I have decided to stop playing because of my own health.

Dendoncker has played for Belgium at youth level (Image: PA)

“This was and will be the hardest decision ever in my life. But there is no going back and I have to look in the future. This will take time to process.

“I’ve learned a lot throughout the years and had to sacrifice a lot. So this really hurts.

“Eleven years at the academy of Club Bruges where I made a lot of friends. Two beautiful years with Brighton and a loan move to St. Johnstone where I made my professional debut.

“I want to thank all the players and staff that I have worked with.”

Albion commented on Dendoncker's post wishing him all the best.

Dendoncker, who is the younger brother of Aston Villa midfielder Leander, went on loan to Scottish club St. Johnstone in 2021/22 where he made six appearances.

He was released by Albion in May last year.

Former Albion midfielder Enock Mwepu, 25, was also forced to retire with a hereditary heart condition in October last year.