Former Germany international goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand has announced his retirement from the game at the age of 36.

Hildebrand’s last appearance came for Eintracht Frankfurt four months ago and he has called it a day as he continues to struggle with a hip problem.

“I still love football, but I’ve reached an age now where it’s acceptable to call it a day,” he told Kicker magazine as he explained why he is no longer going to pull on the gloves professionally.

“My health is very important to me and I want still to be able to have a kickabout with my little kid in future. When I had a hip operation in April 2015, I was told it would take me three to four months to recover.

“It kept getting longer and longer and the complaints never disappeared completely, so that is when I decided I should call it a day.

“That was my first operation and I’m glad it came at the end of my career.”

Frankfurt was the final station in a career which started in Stuttgart, where Hildebrand won the Bundesliga in 2007, and included spells with Valencia, Hoffenheim, Sporting Lisbon and Schalke.