 However, in 1982 he moved to lower league teams Hummelsbütteler SV and Lüneburger SK, where he finally ended his career in 1985, aged 38.He was never selected for the German national team, one of the reasons being that the outstanding Franz Beckenbauer fulfilled the role of libero there at the time.Johan Cruijff asked him to play for the Netherlands in the 1974 World Cup but Blankenburg refused, he was still hoping for selection from his homeland.