Former Japan captain Makoto Hasebe played the final game of his career in Eintracht Frankfurt's 2-2 home draw with Leipzig in the German Bundesliga on Saturday.
The 40-year-old Hasebe, who captained Japan in three straight World Cups from 2010 while spending 17 seasons in Germany, came on as a substitute in added time at the end of the match.
"Without your help, I couldn't have played this long," Hasebe told supporters after the match.
"I am proud of myself for continuing to do what needed to be done right until the very end. I grew as a human being through football and would like to continue that for the years to come."
Hasebe will stay at the German club as an instructor and is scheduled to teach young players.
Hasebe joined the J-League's Urawa Reds out of high school in 2002 and initially thrived as a dribbler before turning himself into a versatile player following his move to Wolfsburg, with whom he won his only Bundesliga title in 2009.
Following a year at Nurnberg, Hasebe joined Frankfurt in 2014 and gained legendary status at the club after winning the German Cup in 2018 and the Europa League in 2022.
The veteran was handed a unique contract that year allowing him to decide when he would quit playing and move into a coaching role at the club.
Known for his leadership and stamina, Hasebe, who played as a deep-lying defender in recent years, was lauded by many including Germany's former World Cup-winning captain Lothar Matthaus.
Also on Saturday, Leverkusen, who had already secured their first Bundesliga title, became the first team in the league's history to go undefeated over a full season with 28 wins and six draws.
Among other Japanese players in the Bundesliga, Ritsu Doan scored his seventh goal in Freiburg's 2-1 loss at Union Berlin.
Related coverage:
Football: Maeda key in Celtic's championship-clinching victory
Football: Ritsu Doan nets 6th goal of season in Freiburg draw
Football: Marinos beat UAE's Al Ain 2-1 in ACL final 1st leg
