Ex-Germany forward Kruse, 35, retires after injury-hit spell in 2nd tier

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Former Germany forward Max Kruse on Wednesday announced his retirement from football.

The 35-year-old most recently turned out for second-division side Paderborn but only played 194 minutes in an injury-hit time with the club.

"The time has come for me to start a new phase in life," Kruse wrote on Instagram.

A colourful character, Kruse played 14 times for Germany, scoring four times. He made 307 Bundesliga appearances and scored 97 goals in a career which included stints at Union Berlin, Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Kruse was publicly criticised and stood down from the national team by then Germany manager Joachim Low for not focusing enough on football, the World Cup-winning coach saying "Max has once again behaved unprofessionally".

An avid poker player, Kruse was fined 25,000 euros ($27,400) by then club Wolfsburg in 2016 for leaving 75,000 euros of winnings in the back of a taxi during a late-night trip to Berlin.

The incident also saw him dropped from the Germany side.