Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill stand aside from England duty
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Updated 28/08/2018 at 14:44 GMT+1
Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy is unlikely to play for England against Switzerland after revealing he has all but retired from international duty.
England's defender Gary Cahill (L) and England's forward Jamie Vardy attend a training session at Spartak Zelenogorsk Stadium in Saint Petersburg on June 19, 2018, during the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament
Image credit: Getty Images
Vardy, 31, won 26 caps for England having made his debut in 2015 and went to both Euro 2016 and this summer's World Cup.
However he has revealed in an interview with The Guardian that he has decided to step aside from England duty following discussions with manager Gareth Southgate.
“To be honest with you, this has been on my mind for a while,” Vardy said.
“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.
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Gareth Southgate, Manager of England and Jamie Vardy of England embrace after the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Semi Final match between England and Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium on July 11, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.
Image credit: Getty Images
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 did make it clear however that he would still be available for selection were their an injury crisis and shortage of options.
“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.”
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England's forward Jamie Vardy answers journalists' questions after a training session in Zelenogorsk, on June 13, 2018, ahead of the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament.
Image credit: Getty Images
Vardy also added that the travel, combined with the lack of playing time at international level, had factored into his decision.
“Yeah, I think that had an impact." Vardy said when asked about the travel.
"When you get selected, you want to be playing. If you’re playing week in, week out for your club, you want to be going to England to play as well. And if it’s not happening, then for me personally now, at this age, it’s better to be at home, spending that time with my family and training with my club, preparing for the next game after the international break.”
He was followed in the move by Chelsea centre-back Gary Cahill who said he would be taking "a step back" from England duty.
"I can see it is now going to a younger generation and I think it is the perfect time for me to take a step back," Cahill told Chelsea TV.
I've been hugely honoured to play for my country and I would never shut the door
"I've said that if there are injuries in the future and I'm needed to come and play then, of course, I'm available."
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