Germany captain Philipp Lahm has announced his retirement from international football barely a week after leading Die Mannschaft to the lifting the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The 30 year old Bayern Munich defender, who signed a contract extension at the club just before the World Cup began, made his debut for Germany in 2004 in a 2-1 win over Croatia, going on to make 112 more appearances and scoring five goals for the national team.

German FA president Wolfgang Niersbach stated ”Philipp called me this morning and personally informed me of this step,” adding that ”he was not just a superb player for 10 years in the national team, but also a complete role model.”

Lahm began his career as a right-back but can also play as a left-back and since last year began to be deployed in midfield, where he began the 2014 World Cup before playing in both full-back positions as Germany won a fourth World Cup and the first as a unified nation.

The 2014 World Cup is the only title Lahm won with the national team, with Germany finishing third at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups as well as being runners-up to Spain at the 2008 European Championship.