Philipp Lahm to Retire once Contract Expires

It feels like it has been forever since Philipp Lahm first debuted in a Bayern Munich strip in 2002. Now at the tender age of 31, the Bayern Munich and Germany captain is starting to consider when will be the appropriate time to hang up his boots and take his place as one of the greatest Bayern Munich players ever in the annals of club hstory.

In conversation with the French paper, L'Equipe Philipp Lahm spoke about retirement at the end of his current contract which concludes at the end of the 2017/2018 season.

"That's a possible date. I will be 34 then. It will be the right moment. I'm not someone who is going to push and push until I break. I want to leave at the top of my game." - L'Equipe (translation via ESPNFC)

Continuing that train of thought, Lahm poured cold water on the potential for a late career move to a lower league, specifically addressing the the unlikelihood of playing in either Qatar or for MLS in the United States.

Despite the introspection of age though, Philipp Lahm is as hungry as he as ever been. When asked about the prospects for Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Lahm was brutally honest, saying "The sensation of winning that competition is so intoxicating that I want to win it again at any cost before I retire, That's my great objective for the end of my career. We have the potential to win it this season."

Philipp Lahm is already a Bayern Munich legend, but with three and a half years remaining on his contract, he has his sights set on leading this team to heights that could cement his tenure at Bayern Munich as being one of the greatest in the club's history.