£12m Sunderland man announces retirement after 16-year football playing career

The Wearside club purchased Lens from Dynamo Kiev for £12million back in 2015. The Dutchman only played 24 times for Sunderland over two seasons before departing for Besiktas. The Turkish outfit signed Dutch winger from Sunderland in August 2017 and paid an instalment of the transfer fee to Sunderland as recently as three years ago.

The deal between Sunderland and Besiktas was initially a loan move before Lens penned a permanent contract in the summer of 2018. Lens, who played 34 times for his country at International level has also enjoyed stints with Fatih Karagümrük and Versailles since Sunderland but has now oped to hang up his boots aged 36.

The winger won the Eredivisie and the Johan Cruyff Shield with AZ Alkmaar earlier on in his career before scooping the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield with PSV. Lens also won the Ukrainian Premier League with Dynamo Kyiv alongside two Ukrainian Cups.