Miroslav Klose has announced his retirement from football as he joins Germany coach Joachim Low's backroom staff.
The German Football Association (DFB) announced in a statement that Klose, whose contract with Italian Serie A club Lazio expired in the summer, was hanging up his boots to focus on commencing a new coaching career.
The 38-year-old, who scored against Ireland at 2002 World Cup and in a World Cup qualifier in 2012, will join Low and his coaching team for their upcoming qualifier against San Marino and friendly in Italy as he learns the ropes while studying for his official coaching licence.
"I celebrated my greatest successes in the national team and this was a wonderful time which remains unforgettable," Klose said.
"That is why I'm delighted to return to the DFB. In the past few months, I have thought a lot about continuing my playing career, but also about looking at new avenues, namely becoming a coach.
"Reading a game, preparing painstakingly, developing strategies and tactics have always intrigued me and interested me a lot as a player.
"I am very grateful to Jogi Low and (assistant coach) Hansi Flick for this opportunity to sharpen my ideas now in practice."
Klose became Germany's all-time top goalscorer with 71 goals before bringing his international career to an end with victory in the 2014 World Cup final.
Having benefitted from his goals for eight years, Low is now hoping to benefit from Klose's insights off the field.
"I've always been able to rely on Miro and that's why I'm really pleased that he is now going to be part of our team," he said.
"He's a role model as a person and a sportsman who always puts everything else after the team and success.
"With his views and his experience, I can see him very well as a coach in future and we are happy to support him along the way with the DFB.
"I am sure that we the coaches are going to benefit as much from his presence here as we did when he was a player. We're looking forward to working with Miro."
Klose scored over 200 career goals for Kaiserslautern, Werder Bremen, Bayern Munich and Lazio, winning two Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokals, the Coppa Italia and the World Cup in 2014.
He scored seven goals in Serie A last season, but was not offered a new contract by the Biancocelesti, whom he had joined from Bayern in 2011.
Lothar Matthaus, the only player to have worn a Germany shirt more times (150) than Klose's 137 appearances, was one of the first to pay tribute to the 38-year-old, writing on Twitter: "Germany's all-time record goalscorer retires from football! What a Germany and football legend! Thank you Miroslav Klose."
