Bayern Munich star Philipp Lahm has revealed his shock decision to retire from international football in the wake of Germany's World Cup success.
The
30-year-old captained his nation as they overcame Argentina 1-0 in the
final, making seven appearances to help them to their first major trophy
since Euro 1996.
Lahm will not play a role in Germany's hunt for
more silverware, however, having told head coach Joachim Low that he's
no longer available for the national team.
"I told Jogi Low about my decision to retire from international football on Monday," Lahm told Sport Bild.
"I'd
been thinking about it over the course of last season. I am delighted
that things all came together with this World Cup win.
"I gave
DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach a call this morning and thanked him and
everybody else at the DFB for the last few years."
Lahm, who has
captained Germany since permanently replacing Michael Ballack in 2011,
made his official Germany debut in the 2-1 win over Croatia in February
2004 and had since developed into one of Germany's undisputed star
players.
The right-back has made 113 appearances for the freshly
crowned world champions and sits fourth in the all-time rankings behind
Lothar Matthaus (150 caps), Miroslav Klose (137) and Lukas Podolski
(116).
Lahm featured at the European Championships of 2004, 2008 and 2012, as well as at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
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