Real Madrid midfielder Kroos expands on retirement decision: I didn't want people telling me 'it's over!'

Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos has expanded on his retirement decision.

Kroos will hang up the boots after the Euros with Germany.

He said on his podcast: "I was already a little bit at the point of making this decision a year ago. So it was already made. But I had also been thinking about it for a long time.

"In retrospect, I have to say that it was the right decision to continue another year, because things have really turned out as I hoped. I stayed healthy, it wasn't too much for my body, it was another full season without injuries. Plus, I had a lot of fun in most of the games, I managed to maintain my level and we were successful as a team. That's always a big goal when you think about retiring, that you want to retire successfully.

"Even before the Champions League final, I can say that it has been a successful season. Now it seems like the perfect time, best moment of my career. With so many examples it is clear that it is not easy, that this point can be lost very quickly. I never wanted to have the feeling that the club, the fans and the people around me had to tell me at the end: 'It's over!' Or that I would end up sitting here on the bench for another two or three years.

"That, in some ways, wouldn't be worthy of a career, so I'm glad, happy and a little proud that I was able to avoid all those things.

"It's a nice feeling."