The younger brother of Aston Villa midfielder Leander Dendoncker has been forced into retirement due to a heart condition.

Lars Dendoncker was with Brighton until May last year.

He posted to social media: “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.

“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."

Enock Mwepu, 25, was also forced to retire with a heart condition in October last year when with Brighton.