BERLIN, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- Former Germany international striker Mike Hanke announced his retirement form professional soccer on Wednesday.
"I thought about it in the last six weeks but I do not feel the need to play soccer. I feel comfortable without it," the 31- year-old striker, who played nearly twelve years in the Bundesliga, told Sky Spot News in an interview.
Hanke played at last for Chinese side Guizhou Renhe. After one goal in 12 appearances he asked for the cancellation of his contract in October.
After his short spell in China he returned to Germany in hopes of new offers. " I will wait what will happen by the end of the year," he told the German sports magazine kicker back then.
However, Hanke prefers to call it quits now "than at 35 or 36 when all my bones are damaged."
The former Germany international started his professional career in 2002 at Schalke before he moved on to Wolfsburg, Hannover, Monchengladbach and Freiburg. He scored overall 54 goal in 284 appearances in the German Bundesliga. He was besides that part of Germany's "Nationalmannschaft" from 2005 until 2007, scoring once in 12 caps.