Freiburg striker Nils Petersen has announced on Instagram he will retire from football at the end of the season. 

In the post Petersen said: “After almost 16 years of professional football, I’m hanging up my shoes at the end of the season with a heavy heart. THANK YOU in advance to everyone who has accompanied me on my way, wished me luck week after week, congratulated me after victories and comforted me after defeats. Thanks to FC Einheit, VfB Germania Halberstadt, Carl Zeiss Jena, Energie Cottbus, Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen and of course Freiburg as well as all the fans for the wonderful years with the most beautiful minor thing in the world, which will always remain the main thing for me. Everything that has an end once had a beginning. And a new beginning is not the same as the end. you hear from me Promised. Now I’ll invest everything again so that I can then say: “You should go when it’s most beautiful.” Your Nils”

The 34 year old joined Freiburg in 2015 and has gone on to score 104 goals in 270 apperances for Freiburg. Over the past few years as he has gotten older he developed into the most impactful player of the bench in the league. He is the current record holder for goals scored by a substitute. 

Petersen also had spells at Bayern Munich where he was part of the squad that would go on to lose to Chelsea on penalties at the Allianz Arena. As well as a spell at Werder Bremen where he played 72 times scoring 18 times. The striker has also recieved two caps for Germany in 2018 in friendlies against Austria and Peru. 

This season he has only started four games mainly in the cup competitions while he has also yet to score for Freiburg in the league. The 34 year old has played behind Michael Gregoritsch and Lucas Höler this season. 

The striker was recently refeering over the international break which could be a possible route he could go down now.

GGFN | Jack Meenan