Malaga's Ruud van Nistelrooy of The Netherlands waves at the end of his news conference after announcing his retirement at La Rosaleda stadium in Malaga (Photo: Reuters)
Malaga's Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy retired from professional football on Monday, ending a stellar career that included stints with Manchester United and Real Madrid.
"Yesterday I played my last match as a professional," Van Nistelrooy, 35, told a news conference.
"I think the moment has come for me to stop playing football -- I have reached my physical limit," he added.
"But there could be no better way to say goodbye than this, in a euphoric moment for the club," which on Sunday won a place in next season's Champion's League with a fourth-place finish in Spain's La Liga.
During his two-decade career, Van Nistelrooy was crowned top scorer in three countries -- The Netherlands, England and Spain.
With 60 goals in the Champions League, he remains that competition's second-highest scorer, behind Raul of Spain.
He played for five seasons with Manchester United, winning the English league twice, and then played a part in two Liga titles during four seasons with Real Madrid.
He moved to Malaga last year after a two-season stint with Hamburg.
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