Bayer Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes has revealed that he plans to retire from football at the end of the season.
The 32-year-old, who has been capped 26 times at international level by current world champions Germany, made the announcement following his side's 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich.
Rolfes, whose contract at Leverkusen runs until June 2015, told the club's official website: "The decision to quit in the next year as a player is not easy for me. However, I was open-minded about many things during my whole 15 years in professional football and also investigated other interests.
"I now think the time has come to make a cut and me develop both professionally and personally. The time in Leverkusen was formative for me.
"Bayer 04 are German giants with regular international presence, here I have become a national player, here I was able to enjoy the Champions League. In the summer I'm going to look back on a great and eventful time at Bayer 04."
The midfielder has yet to complete 90 minutes of action this season after recently undergoing ankle surgery.
Daniel Lewis
