Barcelona player Ilkay Gündogan has announced the end of his career with the German national team after playing 82 international matches, the last of which as captain.

"After a few weeks of reflection, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my career with the national team," Gündogan said on his social media.

"I am proud of the 82 matches I played for my country, a number I could never have dreamed of when I made my debut in 2011," he added.

Gündogan also mentioned that the pinnacle of his international career was serving as captain during the last European Championship.

"After several years, we finally managed to make the nation proud again. Contributing as captain makes me happy," he said.

Gündogan missed the 2014 World Cup due to injury, which prevented him from becoming a world champion with Germany.