Greece striker Nikos Liberopoulos and goalkeeper Kostas Chalkias brought down the curtain on their international careers after the 4-2 loss to Germany in the last eight of Euro 2012 on Friday.

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The duo said their international farewells in Gdansk, and Liberopoulos, 36, said being part of the quarter-final had been an appropriate way to finish.

The forward, who came on as a substitute to earn his 76th cap, told Greek television: “I feel blessed that I get to close this chapter among a team that are like family to me.

“It's a big honour for me. At the end of the match, I felt that I didn't want to leave the pitch. Now I will continue supporting this team as a fan.”

Liberopoulos scored 13 goals in his international career. His 38-year-old colleague Chalkias was the oldest player at Euro 2012, making two group appearances, and was on the bench for the Germany game.

Chalkias, capped 32 times, said: “I am proud and happy to have participated in Greece's effort to reach the quarter-finals.

“This has been one of the best months of my career. Right now I am very emotional and proud – it was a dream finish for my international career.”