Former France and Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse announced his retirement from professional football on Tuesday (AEDT).

Cisse, 34, was in the headlines last week, denying allegations he was involved in a plot to blackmail former teammate Mathieu Valbuena over sex tape footage.

He has been without a full-time club since the end of last season, when he left Ligue 1 outfit Bastia.

Cisse said he could no longer handle the demands of professional football.

"The body says stop, now it's over," he told Canal+. "I can't practice high-level football."

Cisse's professional career started at Auxerre in 1998, and his goalscoring exploits led to a Liverpool move in 2004. After his departure from Anfield, he spent time at numerous clubs – including Marseille, Sunderland, Panathinaikos and QPR.

Cisse represented France 41 times, scoring nine goals.