BERLIN: Former Germany defender Marcell Jansen has decided to retire at 29 rather than search for another club after being released by Hamburg SV.

The left back, who also played for Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayern Munich before spending seven years at Hamburg, said he had received "financially lucrative" offers from other clubs but preferred to look for a new career.

"I've decided to stop playing professional football," he said on his Facebook page.

"Of course, I could have sought out another club, slipped on the shirt and gone through another couple of years," added Jansen who played at the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

"But, after years of successful professional football, I would like now to start a new chapter in my life and start on new exciting projects outside of football work,"

Earlier, he had told the German newspaper Bild that he had made his decision while on holiday.

"I can't just suddenly kiss another badge now," he was quoted as saying.