Former Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Germany midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has announced his retirement from playing football.
The 35-year-old who won 121 caps for his country scoring 24 goals, will hang up his boots at the end of the MLS season.
Schweinsteiger enjoyed a glittering career after coming through the youth system at Bayern, making 500 appearances for the Bavarian giants in a 13-year spell where he won the Bundesliga eight times and collected seven DFB-Pokal titles.
He was instrumental in Bayern's last Champions League triumph in 2013 and helped Germany win the World Cup in 2014.
He then opted to join Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford, arriving on a free transfer in 2015, but after making 35 appearances he departed for the USA with Chicago Fire just 18 months later.
In an open letter posted on social media, Schweinsteiger bid an emotional farewell to his fans and hinted he will remain in football in another capacity.
"The time has now come and I will be finishing my active career at the end of this season. I would thank both you and my teams FC Bayern, Manchester United, Chicago Fire and the German national team. You made this unbelievable time possible for me.
"And of course, I would also like to thank my wife Ana Ivanovic and my family for their support.
"Saying goodbye as an active player makes me feel a little nostalgic, but I am also looking forward to the exciting challenges that await me soon. I will remain faithful to football.
"Many, many thanks for the time we spent together, I will always have a place for you in my heart! Yours, Basti."
The German has already played in his final game for Chicago after the MLS outfit failed to qualify for the end-of-season play-offs.
