After former Schalke 04 coach Peter Neururer revealed on Thursday he saw players take the banned stimulant Captagon in the early 1990s, Krueger, Neurerer's former assistant coach at Schalke, says he also took the drug as a teenager.

Doping is a hot topic in German sport at the moment after several cyclists admitted they took the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoetin) in the 1990s and the German government has set up a working party to look into the issue.

But Krueger, who now coaches at FC Saarbuecken in a regional league, told German on-line magazine Sport-Bild he took the banned stimulant.

"As a 18-year-old I took Captagon," says Krueger.

"It didn't do much for me, but the day after I was exhausted and when I later found out what Captagon was I stopped taking it.

"During the earlier part of my career with Arminia Hannover (between 1976 and 1980), I saw one or two players take the drug just before important games."

Former Hanover coach Neururer admitted seeing players take Captagon while he was coaching Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga's second division in the 1989/90 season.

"(Taking Captogen) was quite usual in football," Neururer had told Sport-Bild.

"It was widely known that players were using substances. Up to 50 percent of players have consumed this drug and not only in the second league."

But Krueger says the issue in German football has only been highlighted covered by the media after the EPO admissions in cycling.

"This wouldn't cause much of a stir normally, but the incidents of doping in cycling has put the issue on everyone's lips," he said.

"One thing is clear, doping can not be trivialised in any sport."

The German Football Association (DFB) have already written to Neururer asking for more details.

Doping tests have been carried out in the Bundesliga since 1988 and after every game two players are chosen at random to provide a urine sample.

Since 1995, 15 players from the Bundesliga's first and second divisions have been accused of doping offences.