Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill have made themselves unavailable for England selection because they feel it is the right time to walk away. However, the pair are open to putting the England shirt on again if required in the future.
Vardy, 32, featured at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia scarcely as Harry Kane was the preferred choice for England manager Gareth Southgate.
“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, 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 told the Guardian.
Vardy was restricted to the bench for most of the World Cup in Russia and said his lack of playing time had influenced his decision.
“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 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.
“I thought I could have helped a bit more if I had more minutes. You know that you can hurt opponents in certain ways, in the way you play. But it wasn’t to be. And you have to respect the manager’s decisions.”
Vardy said he had expressed his intention to Southgate shortly after the World Cup and confirmed it in a recent phone calls.
“We’ve not shut the door completely. If the worst came to happen and everyone was injured, then obviously I wouldn’t say no,” he said.
Chelsea’s Cahill also echoed Vardy’s lines and said that it was the right time to take a step back but he will always be there if the team needs him.
“I think it’s time that I take a step back now. 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.
“At the same time, in your football career you never want to shut a door completely and if I’m ever needed, I’m there,” Cahill said.