Bayern Munich captain Philip Lahm has refused to rule out retirement at the end of the season.
Lahm, who turns 33 on Friday, retired from international football in 2014 after captaining Germany to World Cup glory in Brazil, had previously suggested he would end his playing career when his current contract with Bayern expires in 2018.
However, the versatile defender has now hinted he could bring forward his retirement plans 12 months earlier than anticipated, with a place on the club’s board reportedly his next step.
“Of course you can ask the question,” Lahm told Sport Bild, via ESPN, when quizzed about whether he would think about retiring at the end of this season. “I wouldn’t rule it out.
“I said nine-months ago that this could occur. Nothing has changed since. A lot can happen, there’s still seven months of the season remaining.
“But my decision isn’t dependant on winning tittles at the end of the season. I’ll see how my body feels and then decide what to do. I want to compete at the highest possible level and judge the right time to end my career.
“I’m under contract until 2018 so everything is still in place. There’s no need to rush a decision.”
Lahm has been one of the most consistent defenders since establishing himself in the first team at Bayern in the last decade. In fact, no player has made more appearances for the Bavarians than Lahm.
In the last eight Bundesliga campaigns Lahm has completed at least 1,991 more accurate passes than any other player (12,710).
For more stats on Phillip Lahm, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
