After 114 caps for England, Steven Gerrard will no longer wear the Three Lions proudly on his chest.
On Monday Gerrard, 34, announced his retirement from international soccer, as England’s captain will step out of the limelight and concentrate on skippering Liverpool Football Club.
Giving his full attention to his club side Liverpool was one of the main reasons behind Gerard’s decision to step down, as the marauding midfielder brought his 14-year international career to a close.
Gerrard ranks third all-time in caps for England, behind only Peter Shilton and David Beckham, and is a true legend of the English national team. He scored 21 times and represented the Three Lions at six major tournaments, including the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups. He captained the team at the 2014 World Cup this summer in Brazil and at the European Championships in 2012.
Speaking to the English FA’s website here’s what Gerrard had to say about his retirement from the national team, as he also revealed he plans to stay involved with the England setup in the future.“I have enjoyed every minute of representing my country and it is a sad day for me knowing that I won’t pull on the England shirt again. However, I do look forward to continuing my strong relationship with The FA and helping out in any way I can going forward.
“I’d like to thank everyone who has been part of my international career, from the England Managers I’ve played under to the staff at The FA and, of course, all the players I’ve been fortunate to play alongside. In particular, the supporters have been amazing, not least in Brazil when they got behind the team despite the disappointing results.
“This has been a very difficult decision, one of the toughest I’ve had to make in my career. I have agonized over this since coming back from Brazil and have spoken to family, friends and people close to me in the game before coming to this point.”Follow @JPW_NBCSports