Kim Kallstrom, who won 131 caps for Sweden, announced on Friday that he was hanging up his boots at the age of 35.
The left-sided midfielder had returned to one of his first clubs, Djurgardens, in Stockholm, on a two-year deal before the recently completed Swedish season.
Kim KallstromKallstrom won national league titles with Djurgardens and Lyon and also played for Rennes, Spartak Moscow, Grasshoppers and Arsenal.
“That adrenaline rush that you experience in every on-field duel is a big part of what I’ve built my career on. If you do not have that any more, you’re in danger. It’s best to stop,” he told a press conference.
“I still have so much pleasure playing at the weekend but it’s also necessary to work during the week and I’m beginning to lack the energy and strength for that,” he added.
Kallstrom said he told the club he wanted to quit after the season ended in November but sporting director Bo Andersson told him to take a holiday first.
Kallstrom did not change his mind.
Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom retires
