Former Germany defender Philipp Lahm has revealed that he knew that he would retire from international football before the start of the World Cup.

The 30-year-old played an integral role in his side's triumph in Brazil as they defeated Argentina in the final to claim his country's fourth world title.

Bayern Munich star Lahm has insisted that his decision was not affected by Joachim Low's side's success, as he feels that he poured every ounce of himself into achieving one of his main career goals.

He told the Daily Mail: "I knew it. It was clear to me before the tournament it would be my last one. It wasn't because we won the World Cup that I retired. I'd made my mind up before the tournament.

"I invested all my energy and capabilities in the World Cup as it was my last time and I didn't want to end up in a position where I might think I hadn't tried everything. That's how I approached the tournament."

Lahm made 113 appearances for Germany during his 10-year international career.