Former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt retires from playing football to take up Feyenoord role

The 36-year-old's retirement comes days after he captained the Rotterdam club to their first Eredivisie title since 1999

Dirk Kuyt made a total of 286 appearances for Liverpool (Getty)

Dirky Kuyt, the former Liverpool forward, has brought his 19-year-long playing career to an end, days after leading Feyenoord to their first league title in 18 years.

The 36-year-old, who captains the Rotterdam club, scored a hat-trick in his side's crucial 3-1 victory over Heracles to seal the Eredivisie crown.

Kuyt, who also represented FC Utrecht and Fenerbahce during his senior career, will now take up an 'off-the-pitch' role at the Rotterdam club.

The former Netherlands international spent six years at Liverpool between 2006 and 2012, earning cult-hero status at Anfield for his work ethic and knack of scoring important goals.

Kuyt scored the winning penalty in Liverpool's 2007 Champions League semi-final shoot-out victory over Chelsea and hit a hat-trick in a 2011 league defeat of rivals Manchester United.

Despite playing in three cup finals, Kuyt only lifted one trophy, the 2012 League Cup, during his time on Merseyside. He was also a regular fixture in Rafael Benitez's 2009 side which finished as Premier League runners-up.

Upon the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as manager in the summer of 2012, Kuyt was sold to Fenerbahce, where he stayed for three years, winning the Turkish Cup in his first season and then the 2014 Super Lig title.

In 2015, Kuyt returned to Feyenoord, the club he had left to join Liverpool. Announcing the end of his playing career on Wednesday, he said: “I came back to win prizes and to be champion with Feyenoord. All my dreams are accomplished.

Kuyt added: “For me feels this as the right time to stop. The league title this season is an absolute highlight.”

Kuyt won a total of 104 caps for the Netherlands during his international career, finishing as a runner-up at the 2010 World Cup and in third place at the 2014 tournament in Brazil.