“I’m not getting any younger and you can see, to be fair to the gaffer [Gareth Southgate], he wants to make it more youthful, which obviously had its benefits during the World Cup – we got to the semi-finals and finished fourth, which is equal to the furthest we have ever been on foreign soil.
England international and Leicester City striker, Jamie Vardy has announced his decision to step aside from international duties to allow younger players emerge.
Speaking with The Guardian, he said: “To be honest with you, this has been on my mind for a while.
“I’m not getting any younger and you can see, to be fair to the gaffer [Gareth Southgate], he wants to make it more youthful, which obviously had its benefits during the World Cup – we got to the semi-finals and finished fourth, which is equal to the furthest we have ever been on foreign soil.
“So I just said to Gareth that I think it’s probably best from now on, especially with the way he wants to go, to bring youngsters in who he thinks have got the ability and start nurturing them into international football.”
Vardy further revealed that he discussed his intention with the national team coach, Gareth Barry.
He said: “I explained it all to Gareth and he was fine with my decision.
“I mentioned it to him after the World Cup had finished, out in Russia, and then I spoke to him on the phone a couple of weeks ago. He let it die down a bit, so that I could have a bit more time to think, and then rang me up just to make sure I wasn’t just taking the mickey in Russia. But I hadn’t changed my mind.
“Gareth said that he felt I still had a lot to offer, and we’ve not shut the door completely. If the worst came to happen and everyone was injured, then obviously I wouldn’t say no.”
The 31-year-old has won 26 caps for his country, after he made his debut in 2015.
