England captain Steven Gerrard has retired from international football after winning 114 caps.
Gerrard, 34, won his first cap in a 2-0 win over Ukraine in 2000 and played for the last time at the 2014 World Cup in a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica.
“I have enjoyed every minute of representing my country. It’s a sad day for me,” the Liverpool midfielder said.
Gerrard will now assume a “high profile” ambassadorial role with the Football Association.
The England midfielder scored 21 times and represented his country at six major tournaments.
“It was a very difficult decision to make. It’s something I have been contemplating for a long time, not just since the end of the World Cup,” the Liverpool skipper said.
“I’ve had to take an awful lot of advice from people who are close to me – players that I still play with, ex-players who I played with a long time ago, managers who I played for years ago.
“It’s been a really tough decision, certainly one of the toughest since I turned professional at 18.”
Gerrard will continue his club career with Liverpool, with whom he made his debut in 1998 against Blackburn Rovers.
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Source: BBC Sport