Tomasson calls time on Denmark career

Denmark striker Jon Dahl Tomasson has decided to bring an end to his international career after winning 112 caps in more than 13 years of service.

The Feyenoord forward was not included in Denmark's squad for Wednesday's friendly against Germany due to injury and thus bows out having made his final appearance in the 3-1 loss to Japan at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The 33-year-old also registered the last of his 52 international goals in that game, putting him level with Poul Nielsen as his country's joint highest scorer.

"The national team has been a big part of my career for the last 13 years and it is an important chapter of my life that I'm now ending," explained Tomassson. "Because of that, this has also been a decision that I've needed the necessary time to make. I had already thought about it before the World Cup, but I wanted to get some distance from the tournament first and therefore I've spent the rest of the summer examining my thoughts and feelings before making this decision."

"We're saying goodbye to a fantastic player and a fantastic person," said Denmark coach Morten Olsen. "It's no coincidence that Jon reached second on the list of appearances by any Danish player and that he's our all-time top scorer. Obviously it's sad and frustrating to say goodbye to Jon, given his long and important career for Danish football and the national team. He is the ultimate team player who always focused more on the team than his own performances. Four final tournaments, 112 international caps and 52 goals speak for themselves."

Veteran midfield duo Jesper Grønkjær and Martin Jørgensen also withdrew from Denmark duty shortly after the World Cup.