Germany's troubled World Cup winner Kevin Grosskreutz on Tuesday signed for Darmstadt, who are adrift at the bottom of the Bundesliga, as he looks to rebuild his career.

The 28-year-old right-back or winger was sacked by second division club VfB Stuttgart last month following his part in a punch-up, also involving some of the club's youth players, on a late-night visit to a brothel.

After his dismissal a tearful Grosskreutz said he wanted nothing more to do with football.

Now Darmstadt, who are 14 points from safety with six games left in Germany's top tier, have offered him a lifeline under coach Torsten Frings, an ex-Germany midfielder.

"I am really looking forward to playing for Darmstadt," said Grosskreutz.

"Torsten Frings has been very concerned about me and together with the club's senior figures has convinced me that this is the right step for me.

"As with all my previous clubs I will do everything to ensure that we will have success together."

Grosskreutz has endured a spectacular fall from grace since he picked up a World Cup winners medal despite not playing a minute of Brazil 2014.

He was part of the Borussia Dortmund team which won the German league in 2011 and 2012 and played in the 2013 Champions League final defeat to Bayern Munich.

Grosskreutz left his home-town club in 2015 after failing to see eye-to-eye with coach Thomas Tuchel.

A move to Galatasaray was blighted by the fact he could not play for the Turkish giants because of incorrectly presented paperwork at the time of the transfer.

In January 2016 he signed for Stuttgart after six unhappy months in Istanbul, until he was fired for his late-night exploits in the city's red-light district.

Despite Grosskreutz's tarnished reputation Frings is delighted to have signed a World Cup winner who has made five appearances for Germany.

"I am very happy and proud that we have managed to bring a player like Kevin Grosskreutz to Darmstadt," said the 40-year-old Frings.

"Kevin has unbelievable experience, is a world champion and has played at an absolute top level.

"I've felt in the talks how up for it he is for this new challenge.

"He will be a very important building block for our team in the coming season."