Chicago, Oct 8 (IANS): Former Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger on Tuesday announced his retirement. In a statement that he released on his social media handles, the 35-year-old said that he will be finishing his career at the end of this season of the Major League Soccer, in which he plays for the Chicago Fire.

The regular season finished on October 6 and Chicago have not made it to the playoffs. Schweinsteiger's last appearance was thus Chicago's 2-5 defeat to Orlando City on the final match day of the regular season.

"Saying goodbye as an active player makes me feel nostalgic, but I am also looking forward to exciting challenges that await me soon," he said in his statement.

Schweinsteiger played for German giants Bayern Munich for most of his career, making his senior debut at the age of 18 in 2002 after progressing through the ranks in the club. He went on to make exactly 500 appearances for Bayern, winning eight Bundesliga titles, seven DFB-Pokal, a Champions League, a FIFA Club World Cup and a UEFA Super Cup title. He then joined Manchester United where he won the FA Cup in 2016. In 2017, he moved to the USA where he has played for Chicago Fire since.

Schweinsteiger was an integral part of the team that won the 2014 World Cup. He made his international debut in 2004 and earned over 121 caps. He captained the team from 2014 till his international retirement in 2016.