'It wasn't difficult for my wife!' - Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos reveals who found it most painful to learn about his retirement

Kroos called time on his incredible career after featuring at Euro 2024 for Germany. The midfielder had already signed off with Real Madrid by adding a fourth La Liga title to his collection as well as winning the Champions League for the sixth time in his career. The German also won the Copa del Rey with Real Madrid as well as three Bundesliga titles and three German Cups with former club Bayern. He also played 114 times for the Germany national team and lifted the World Cup in 2014.

Kroos stepped away from football as a true legend and one of the most successful midfielders ever to grace the game. He has admitted that it was hard to make the decision to walk away from the sport at the age of 34, although his wife Jessica was a lot happier to hear of his decision than Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti.

He told Marca: "The truth is that it wasn't difficult for my wife, because it was a joint decision. It wasn't a surprise at home, because we spent months talking about it. My wife was happy to have me at home more. It was harder to tell my eldest son, because I knew how much he enjoyed watching me on TV and at the stadium. He has experienced many things, he has been in four Champions League finals and as a child he will not forget it! It was difficult for my son, yes...

"And it was very difficult for me to tell Carlo, because he expected me to stay and because we had and still have a very good relationship. He was my first coach here and it wasn't easy to tell him, but everything in life has an end. I knew he wouldn't get angry, but he would be a bit sad. It wasn't an easy moment for me either, because something that had been very special was coming to an end. I tried to choose a good moment, an easy moment... And I was lucky that we won La Liga by a margin and I said 'now!' Because there was the perfect time between La Liga and the Champions League final. It would have been more difficult if we were playing for La Liga, because I didn't want this issue to be above everything else."

Kroos has been busy since hanging up his boots, modelling with Swedish-based clothing brand Marc O'Polo, working with his academy and jetting back to the Santiago Bernabeu to watch Real Madrid in action against Villarreal earlier in October. Los Blancos have missed the German midfield star but currently sit second in La Liga, ahead of Sunday's Clasico clash with Barcelona, and pulled off another stunning Champions League comeback last time out to beat Borussia Dortmund.