"(I would like to thank) the coaches, backroom members, fans, team-mates, both past and present for their support throughout the years.

"Their hard work behind the scenes has played a part in helping me to achieve much success over the past decade," he said.

Shahril's former international teammates Baihakki Khaizan and Shakir Hamzah were among those who congratulated him on his retirement.

Commenting on Shahril's Instagram post, Baihakki said: "It's an honour creating history with you. #happyretirement."

Making his professional debut with the Young Lions in 2003, Shahril earned his first international cap the same year.

He is the third-most capped Singapore footballer with 138 appearances.

His last match for the Lions came in the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Championship in 2018 against the Philippines.

He was part of three AFF Championship-winning teams, in 2004, 2007 and 2012.

The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and the Singapore Premier League (SPL) both paid tribute to Shahril in their Facebook posts.

"Thank you for your years of dedication and service to Singapore football! All the best for the next chapter of your life, Shahril Ishak!," FAS said, while the SPL wished him "all the best".

"Playing for and captaining my country was something I had always dreamed of and it was such a great honour," he said.

Shahril also picked up plenty of individual achievements on the pitch.

In 2010, he won the S-League Player of the Year crown.

He was named the Most Valuable Player when he captained Singapore to the 2012 AFF Championship, and picked up the AFF Player of the Year gong in 2013.

He also captained the LionsXII to the Malaysia Super League title in 2013.

"I'm looking forward to my next steps ... But now, it's time to make an impact on the game off the pitch," he said.

"Till then, thank you all for helping me fulfil my dream. It was a beautiful journey," Shahril said.