Sydney July 17 (IANS) Australia s leading World Cup and all-time goal-scorer Tim Cahill announced his retirement from international football on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old played in four World Cups with the country s national team scoring five goals reports Xinhua news agency.

In his career Cahill totalled 50 goals for Australia to become the leading all-time goal-scorer for the side.

"Today s the day that I m officially hanging up my boots on my international career with the Socceroos " Cahill said on Twitter.

"No words can describe what it has meant to represent my country " he added.

Cahill also played for Everton Football Club in the English Premier League and for the Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League amongst other club appearances.

A number of Cahill s goals came at crucial moments in Australia s previous World Cup campaigns gaining him the status of a national icon.

Cahill s double in 2006 against Japan made him the first Australian ever to score a goal at a World Cup.

There has been no announcement whether he intends to continue at the club level having played recently for Australian club Melbourne City and second-tier English football club Millwall.

--IANS kk/bg