Lothar Matthäus implores Toni Kroos not to retire from Germany | OneFootball

German legend Lothar Matthäus, who is one of the few players in history to play in five World Cups, has all the confidence in the world in Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos and has urged him to push on for their national side.

There has been a lot of speculation that some of Germany’s older, more-capped players might be considering retirement from international football after their embarrassing exit from the World Cup, yet Matthäus believes that Kroos has some of his best years ahead of him.

“Toni Kroos leaving the German national team would hurt me very much. He played an extraordinary season for Real Madrid. He can still play on the top level for four more years and improve those around him. Him stepping down would be a real loss. For me, he’s one of our future leaders.

“Joachim Löw must have a clear idea regarding the WC 2022. He should talk to every older player in the squad about motivation and perspectives. He doesn’t need to attack those players, it’s just an ordinary process because we’re Germany, not Panama. There are alternatives for each.”