The 33-year-old was missing from Bert van Marwijk's squad selection this week and Van Nistelrooy, who has recovered from a knee injury to play regularly for Hamburg towards the end of the Bundesliga season, does not now see himself adding to his 64 international caps.

"Of course I am greatly disappointed," he told Holland's NOS Studio Sport television programme.

"I do feel that I could have helped the team.

"But now that my World Cup dream has been shattered, I think that my international career is over. I will be 34 in July."

Nevertheless, the former PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United and Real Madrid striker admits he could see the exclusion coming after speaking with Van Marwijk before his squad announcement.

"We have had regular contact recently and it became quite clear over the last fortnight that the chances of me playing at the World Cup were rather small," he added.

The omission will give him time to fully recover from a niggling knee injury, and he added: "I am now going to go on holiday and relax to be fit to give it my all again for Hamburg next season."