Royston Drenthe: Former Real Madrid Player Lands in Hospital After Suffering Stroke at 38
- Former Real Madrid winger Royston Drenthe has been hospitalised after suffering a stroke
- FC De Rebellen confirmed the 38-year-old is receiving “good care” as the family requests privacy
- Fans and former teammates have sent messages of support to the former Dutch international midfielder
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Former Real Madrid and Feyenoord winger Royston Drenthe has been admitted to hospital after suffering a brain stroke at the age of 38.
The news was confirmed by FC De Rebellen, a team made up of former Dutch and Belgian footballers.
Source: Getty Images
Drenthe, who retired from professional football in 2023, was reported to have suffered a stroke on Friday, Sky News reports.
FC De Rebellen released a statement via Instagram, assuring fans that the former Netherlands international is receiving proper medical care.
“He is receiving good care and is in good hands. The team and everyone involved hope for a speedy recovery. Royston’s family asks for peace and privacy during this period so they can offer him the necessary support and space for his recovery.”
The announcement quickly drew an outpouring of support from across the football world, with fans, former teammates, and clubs sending well-wishes to the ex-Real Madrid star as he continues his recovery.
From wonderkid to world journeyman
Once seen as one of Dutch football’s most exciting young prospects, Royston Drenthe’s career took him from the heights of the Santiago Bernabeu to a string of clubs across Europe and beyond.
Source: Getty Images
Drenthe broke through at Feyenoord before earning a high-profile move to Real Madrid in 2007, where he played alongside icons like Raúl and Sergio Ramos, GOAL reports.
After leaving Madrid, the Dutchman played for Everton, Reading, and Sheffield Wednesday in England, with later stints in Russia and the United Arab Emirates.
Despite his talent, Drenthe’s career never fully matched the early promise he showed as a teenager.
Even after stepping away from professional football, Drenthe remained active through community events and FC De Rebellen, a group of former players who tour and play exhibition matches across Europe.
Drenthe receives messages of support
Drenthe’s sudden health crisis has sparked reflection on both his footballing journey and his personal resilience.
Many fans recall not just his moments of brilliance on the pitch but also his openness about the challenges he faced in his career and life after football.
Drenthe previously made headlines for claiming that Lionel Messi had directed racist insults toward him during a LaLiga match in 2011 while he was on loan at Hercules.
Although Messi and Barcelona firmly denied the allegations, Drenthe said the experience had a lasting emotional effect on him.
His recent health scare has once again brought the football community together in support, with messages flooding social media wishing him strength and recovery.
Player collapses on the pitch
In another development, Legit.ng reported that a football match in Verulam, north of Durban, ended in heartbreaking scenes on Saturday, 16th August, when a 59-year-old man collapsed and died shortly after the game.
The player, who was part of an “over-50s” soccer team, had just completed a match at the Verulam Recreational Grounds when the incident occurred.
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Source: Legit.ng
