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Philipp Wollscheid has been in a philosophical mood as he reflected on his journey from grass roots football in Germany to the international stage - and back again - in just about a decade.

The twice-capped 30-year-old has now already been effectively retired for two years, having spent a season-and-a-half in the Premier League, where he helped Stoke City to two ninth-placed finishes.

He left for Metz in 2017 but quit within a few months after failing to make a league appearance and has since been playing futsal in his mates’ team back home in Saarland – albeit one challenging for the German championship.

Life at the top was not always a fairy tale and offers to pull his boots back on in Bundesliga II or for clubs around Europe have been rejected.

“I've always waved it off,” he said in an interview for Die Welt.

“Had I been able to play without emotion, I would probably have carried on for another six years.

“But I realised that I would only be going to work to earn money and I said to myself that cannot be right.”

(Image: TF-Images/Getty Images)

He added: “My career never really felt like a dream. It looks like that from the outside because you earn a lot of money and get a lot of credit – but, for me, it was just a job most of the time.

“(I always loved playing football but) the permanent travelling, the training camp and the distance from partners, family and friends not so much.”

Wollscheid has just completed a sports management degree in St Gallen in Switzerland and is reported to be a candidate for a leadership position with the Saarland Football Association.

He is interested in coaching or taking up a behind the scenes role back in professional football.

“I want to do it differently," he said.

“Just like a few I've had, I want to be the coach who treats players honestly and correctly.”

He added: “The football business in general is simply wrong. One day you will be praised by everyone to the sky, the next you are not good enough anymore. I have never been able to endure these ups and downs.”

(Image: TF-Images/Getty Images)

Wollscheid was actually back in action in front of the TV cameras this week when he scored for the German All-Stars team in a 3-3 draw against Italy.

And he made the headlines for more than his goal because he accidentally whacked a ball into Sky presenter Jessica Kastrop during the warm-up.

(Image: TF-Images/Getty Images) (Image: Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)

DFB All-Stars 3, Azzurri Legends 3

Toni, 21, Totti, 34, Tommasi, 79; Cannavaro og 10, Panucci og 19, Wollscheid 90

Azzurri Legends: Peruzzi; Grosso, Vierchowod, Cannavaro, Zambrotta; Conti, Gattuso, Pirlo, Perrotta; Toni, Totti.

Germany All-Stars: Weidenfeller; Wollscheid, Buchwald, Frings, Asamoah, Berthold, Nowotny, Rehmer, Klinsmann, Zickler, Odonkor.