Germany's World Cup captain Philip Lahm believes Joachim Low's men will only get better after their third-place finish in South Africa.

The average age of the German squad at the tournament was less than 25 and with youngsters such as Mehmut Ozil and Thomas Muller making a huge impression Lahm, who took the armband in place of veteran midfielder Michael Ballack, believes the future is bright.

"We have a very good chance in the coming years to play at the top," he said. "We are still nowhere near the end of our development."