World Cup winner Miroslav Klose has called time on his career after announcing his retirement from football on Tuesday morning.
The German legend featured in four World Cups, winning in 2014, coming runner-up in 2002 and picking up third place medals in 2006 and 2010.
He holds the record for most amount of goals scored at World Cup finals with 16 and has featured in a total of 24 World Cup games for Germany. He has picked up a total of 71 goals in 137 appearances for his country.
Klose's international debut came on 24 March 2001 in a World Cup qualifier against Albania, coming on as a substitute for coach Rudi Völler in the 73rd minute.
Welcome back, Miro! Miroslav #Klose returns to #DieMannschaft to begin his coaching career with a #DFB trainee programme. More to follow... pic.twitter.com/CM7IAT6dQa
— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN) November 1, 2016
He would go on to become one of the great all-time strikers for the national team and also carved out a fabulous club career.
After spending much of his early career with FC Kaiserslautern - scoring 44 goals in 120 appearances for the senior team - he then earned himself a move to Werder Bremen where he would enjoy the most prolific spell of his career.
Klose notched 53 goals in 89 appearances over three years with the club and won the (now abolished) DFL-Ligapokal in 2006.
He then moved to Bayern Munich in 2007 and won two Bundesliga titles, one DFB-Supercup and two DFB-Pokals (German Cups) as well as a runners-up medal in the Champions League.
He has spent the last five years in the Serie A with Lazio, winning the Coppa Italia in the 2012–13 season.
Klose will join Joachim Löw’s coaching staff as he studies for his Pro Licence, the German football association (DFB) have confirmed.
He said: "I celebrated my greatest successes in the national team and this was a wonderful time which remains unforgettable.
"That is why I’m delighted to return to the DFB. In the past few months, I have thought a lot about continuing my playing career, but also about looking at new avenues, namely becoming a coach.
"Reading a game, preparing painstakingly, developing strategies and tactics have always intrigued me and interested me a lot as a player. I am very grateful to Jogi Löw and Hansi Flick for this opportunity to sharpen my ideas now in practice."
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