Toni Kroos held talks with Liverpool but negotiations left star man feeling 'awkward'

Toni Kroos has announced his impending retirement from professional football. The Real Madrid and Germany midfielder, one of the most decorated footballers of his generation, will call time on his trophy-laden career after Euro 2024.

Kroos retired from international football in 2021, after Germany's exit at the hands of England at the delayed Euro 2020 tournament. But after being asked back by new manager Julian Nagelsmann, the 34-year-old returned to the fold earlier this year and will play at this summer's tournament, which will be held in Germany.

But that will be Kroos' swansong. "My ambition was always to finish my career at the peak of my performance level," he said in a post on his Instagram account. "I am happy and proud that in my mind I found the right timing for my decision and that I could choose it on my own."

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Kroos started his career at Bayern Munich, where he won the Bundesliga three times and a host of other honours before in 2014 moving to Real Madrid, where he has won four La Liga and Champions League titles. The 2014 World Cup winner's final match with Madrid will be this season's Champions League final at Wembley against Borussia Dortmund.

"I have always said Real Madrid is and will be my last club," he said. "After 10 years at the end of season this chapter comes to an end. I will never forget this successful time."

But before signing for Madrid, Kroos held transfer talks with Liverpool after being messaged by Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez, who would soon depart for Barcelona. Kroos told The Athletic: "It wasn’t a straight chat-up line but they offered to tell me more about the club and so on. The funny thing was, Suarez was about to leave to Barcelona anyway."

Liverpool legend Gerrard revealed in his autobiography My Story, how he was used by then manager Brendan Rodgers to try and persuade stars like Kroos to move to Anfield. He wrote: “I had an unofficial role at the club, trying to persuade some great players to join Liverpool.

“It was the same ritual every summer. The club would let me know which long-shot target they had in mind and then ask me to contact him.

“They thought that a request to consider moving to Liverpool would have more impact coming from me. Our target in 2014 was ridiculously optimistic. Brendan (Rodgers) asked me to take a crack at trying to talk Toni Kroos into signing for Liverpool.

“He smiled when I said we’d be p*****g into the wind with this one. We both admired Kroos immensely.

“I knew Real Madrid were gearing up to make Bayern Munich an offer and so I felt a bit awkward when I texted Kroos. The German was on his way to winning the World Cup with his country and Real were the champions of Europe. But God loves a trier, and so I gave it a whirl.

“Some of the best footballers in the world can also be the most respectful. Kroos didn’t make me feel like I was a total idiot.

“But, of course, he would soon sign for Real Madrid. We had a nice little exchange of texts and I said well done and good luck.”