Wladimir Klitschko has revealed that he needed time away from the ring before making the decision to announce his retirement from boxing.

On Thursday morning, news broke that the legendary Ukrainian was bringing an end to his professional career after 69 bouts and in doing so, ending hopes of a rematch with Anthony Joshua.

However, the former unified heavyweight world champion has suggested that he has achieved all he wanted to in the sport, nearly 21 years after he first moved into the paid ranks.

In a statement, the 41-year-old said: "I deliberately took a few weeks to make my decision, to make sure I had enough distance from the fight at Wembley Stadium. As an amateur and a professional boxer, I have achieved everything I dreamed of, and now I want to start my second career after sports.

"I would have never imagined that I would have such a long and incredibly successful boxing career. I'm very thankful for this. Thanks to everyone who has always supported me. Especially my family, my team and my many fans."

Klitschko registered 64 wins during his career, but he lost out to Tyson Fury and Joshua in his last two outings.