AMSTERDAM - Footballer Vurnon Anita (36) has officially announced his retirement from the sport, bringing an end to a distinguished career that began on the fields of Curaçao and extended across Europe and beyond. Anita, who spent the past six months playing at amateur level for FC Volendam, said it was time to focus on his family.
“It’s been great. I’m leaving the game in good shape, and I’m super fit,” he said.
From Willemstad to Ajax
Born in Willemstad, Anita took his first footballing steps at CVV Willemstad, where his technical ability and agility stood out at an early age. After moving to the Netherlands, he joined VV Maarssen before being selected for the prestigious Ajax youth academy.
He made his senior debut for Ajax on 16 April 2006, aged just sixteen, under head coach Danny Blind. Under Frank de Boer, Anita transitioned from full-back to defensive midfielder — a change that would define the peak years of his career. He won multiple trophies with Ajax and became known as a reliable, tactically sharp presence in midfield.
Premier League Years With Newcastle United
In 2012, Anita made a significant move to the English Premier League, joining Newcastle United after long-standing interest from the league. In England he quickly earned admiration for his work rate, discipline and professionalism. He played a key role in Newcastle’s 2017 promotion back to the Premier League.
In 2016, he scored one of the standout goals of his career: a spectacular long-range strike against Club Brugge in a friendly — a rare moment of attacking brilliance from the mostly defensive-minded midfielder.
A Global Career and Return to the Netherlands
Anita later played for Leeds United, CSKA Sofia, RKC Waalwijk and a club in Saudi Arabia, before returning to the Netherlands in 2025 to help FC Volendam late in the season.
International Career: Oranje and Curaçao
Internationally, Anita earned three caps for the Netherlands before choosing in 2021, at age 31, to represent Curaçao, honoring the island where his football journey began.
A Caribbean-Dutch Success Story
With more than 500 professional matches to his name, Anita retires as one of the most consistent and versatile players to emerge from the Caribbean-Dutch football tradition — a player whose career connected Willemstad, Amsterdam and Newcastle in a journey admired across the Kingdom.