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Ex-Germany international Timo Hildebrand announces retirement

Former Germany goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand has brought an end to his career.

Hildebrand, 36, who made seven appearances for his country, had been struggling to recover from a hip operation in April 2015.

The last of the ex-Germany international's 301 Bundesliga appearances came in December 2014 for Eintracht Frankfurt.

"I love football as much as before, but I'm at an age at which you can stop," he told kicker. "Seventeen years [of] professional football have left their trace."

Hildebrand won the Bundesliga title with Stuttgart in 2007, while he also played for Valencia, Hoffenheim, Sporting Lisbon and Schalke.

He holds the Bundesliga record for the longest time without conceding after going 885 minutes without being beaten while playing for Stuttgart.