Former Bayern defender Boateng announced his retirement and won the 14-year World Cup championship as the main force

Hupu September 19th News 2014 World Cup champion Jerome Boateng officially ended his career as a player. The 37-year-old centre-back announced his retirement on social media on Friday night. He recently played for the Linz team in Austria, but has terminated his contract early.

Boateng said emotionally in a 65-second video: "I have been playing football for a long time, playing for big clubs and my country. I have learned a lot, experienced victory and failure, and grew from it." He wrote in the video: "Family.Friends.Fans.It's time. (Family, friends, fans, it's time).

Boateng added: "Football has given me a lot, and now it's time to start a new chapter. It's not because I have to leave, but because I'm ready. I'm grateful for everything, thank the team, the fans, the people who support me, and most importantly my family and children, who are always with me."

In his career, Boateng has played for Hertha Berlin, Hamburg, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Lyon, Sarenitana and Linz. He has played for Bayern in the past decade, winning 9 Bundesliga titles, 2 Champions League titles and 5 German Cup titles. At the national team level, he has made 76 appearances for Germany and won the Brazil World Cup championship with the team in 2014.