Antonio Rüdiger has retired from international football at the age of 33, the player has confirmed.
The 33-year-old Real Madrid defender confirmed the news first reported by Sky Germany that now is the time to take the step away from the German national team.
Rüdiger made his international debut back in 2014 and went on to make 86 appearances for his country, scoring on three occasions.
In a statement, the defender confirmed:
“After some thought, the time has come for me to end my national team career and clear the way for the young generation. When I wore the DFB jersey for the first time in 2014, I could not have imagined it in my dreams that it would turn into 86 national games.”
He concluded:
“For me, a new chapter starts now, in which I will concentrate completely on my club. Thanks for travelling with me.”
During his 12 years with the national team, Rüdiger played at six major tournaments, as well as winning the 2017 Confederations Cup.
GGFN | Jamie Allen
