Michael Ballack, the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea midfielder, has announced his retirement aged 36.
Ballack, whose birthday was six days ago, was one of the most accomplished box-to-box midfielders in European football in the first decade of the century.
The former Germany captain enjoyed a distinguished career in which he won two FA Cups, a Premier League title and a League Cup in England alone, however his achievements are tainted by a number of notable downfalls.
He came to prominence when Bayer Leverkusen overcame all the naysayers to reach the 2002 Champions League final, eliminating Liverpool and Manchester United in the knockout rounds. Only the Germans were defeated 2-1 by Real Madrid at Hampden Park.
One of the few quality players in a poor but determined Germany side, Ballack travelled to Japan and South Korea for the 2002 World Cup having already played for his country at Euro 2000. However he received his second booking of the tournament in the semi-final against the Koreans, meaning he was suspended for the Yokohama final. He nevertheless went on to score the only goal in the game.
The German caps a bittersweet semi-final versus South Korea with the winner
Despite the heartbreak of missing his nation's 2-0 defeat to Brazil, Ballack moved on to Bayern Munich that summer, where he played for four years, winning three Bundesliga titles and one DFB-Pokal - Germany's domestic cup competition. The Görlitz-born international also scored at Euro 2004 for his nation but, like at Euro 2000, a woeful Germany were eliminated at the group stage.
The German savours his final Bundesliga title in 2006
Despite being linked with Manchester United, he left Bavaria in 2006 on a free to join Chelsea. In an underwhelming season, Ballack scored the winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Blackburn Rovers and won the League Cup but the Blues ceded their league title to United.
The following campaign Ballack imposed himself more prominently. He improved on his total of seven goals in his debut campaign by striking nine times despite missing almost half the season due to ankle surgery which prevented him from starting the 2007 FA Cup final. Although he improved on a personal level, the Blues lost both the League Cup final and Champions League final to Tottenham and United.
Having skippered Germany to the last four as hosts of the 2006 World Cup, Ballack again wore the armband as Die Mannschaft reached the final of Euro 2008, only to lose to Spain via a Fernando Torres goal. It would be the last international tournament the German participated in.
A tearful Ballack contemplates Germany's semi-final defeat to Italy in 2006
Ballack made 46 appearances for Chelsea in 2008-09, scoring just four times, but played in his first FA Cup final, which the Blues won against Everton. He infamously chased referee Tom Henning Øvrebø when the Norwegian denied Chelsea one of several penalty appeals in their Champions League semi-final second leg at home to Barcelona.
Ballack signs off at Stamford Bridge with his only Premier League title
He played 45 times for Chelsea in their double-winning season under Carlo Ancelotti, but in the cup final against Portsmouth Ballack was withdrawn after 44 minutes when a Kevin Prince-Boateng challenge left two of his ligaments damaged. Ballack, on 98 caps, would not travel to South Africa for his third World Cup and would not play for Germany again.
Boateng's challenge leaves Ballack reeling
He returned to Leverkusen and his former club, whom he played for an additional 43 times over the course of two campaigns and twice faced his former team-mates from west London in the Champions League.