Soccer-Defender Westermann leaves Hamburg after five years

BERLIN, June 25 (Reuters) - Former Germany international Heiko Westermann has ended his five-year association with Hamburg SV after both parties decided not to extend the defender's contract. Westermann joined the club from Schalke 04 and had a spell as captain until being replaced by Rafael van der Vaart in 2013. "In August 2010 he played his first game for Hamburg. Now, five years later, it was jointly decided that our paths will separate and that the contract that is running out will not be extended," the club said on Thursday. Hamburg, the only team to have played every season in the Bundesliga since it was created in 1963, are overhauling their squad after narrowly staying up last term with a relegation playoff win over Karlsruhe. "I will now go on holiday. I do not yet know how it will continue for me," said Westermann, 31, who has won 27 caps for Germany. "I will take my time to decide." (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Tony Jimenez)