Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill have decided to retire
from international football after helping England reach the
semi-finals of this summer's World Cup in Russia.
The two said it's time to make way for younger players as
manager Gareth Southgate prepares to name his squad for September's
Nations League match against Spain and an international friendly with
Switzerland.
Vardy, 31, cited a desire to concentrate on his club career with
Leicester City, age and spending time with his family all as factors
in his decision.
"To be honest with you, this has been on my mind for a while," the
striker told Britain's Guardian newspaper.
"I'm not getting any younger and you can see, to be fair to the
gaffer, 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."
Southgate told Vardy he felt the striker "still has a lot to offer"
and the two have agreed to "not shut the door completely," although
Vardy would only return if there were a major injury crisis,
according to the Guardian.
Vardy scored seven goals in 26 games for England and also appeared at
Euro 2016.
Cahill earned 61 caps and scored five goals while also serving
as England captain at times.
The 32-year-old defender also played at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil
and Euro 2016 and, like Vardy, left the door open for a return, if
the situation arises.
"I think it's time that I take a step back now," he told Chelsea's
website. "It's the right moment to do that.
"I've been hugely proud of what I've achieved, over 60 caps, I've
captained my country on a few occasions, which has been a huge honour
and something I've been really proud of.
"At the same time, in your football career you never want to shut a
door completely, I've been hugely honoured to play for my country and
if I'm ever needed, I'm there."