Gary Cahill is preparing to “take a step back” from international duty with England, with the Chelsea defender ready to let the next generation of talent come through.
The 32-year-old has been part of the Three Lions fold since making his debut in 2010.
He has earned 61 caps for his country, gracing the 2014 and 2018 World Cup finals and 2016 European Championship – with an untimely injury having prevented him from taking part at Euro 2012.
Cahill is proud of what he has achieved with England and is ready to step aside, although he has stopped short of announcing his international retirement.
He told Chelsea TV: "In terms of my international future, I think it is time I take a step back and now I feel that is the right moment.
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“I have been hugely proud in terms of what I have achieved, in terms of over 60 caps, and I have captained my country on a few occasions which has been a huge honour and something I have been really proud of in my career.
"Three major tournaments and it should have been four. So I have played pretty solidly over the years I have been involved.
“I have been hugely honoured to have played for my country and I would never shut the door. If I was needed in the future, then obviously I am there.
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"Such is my relationship to the manager [Gareth Southgate], he was fantastic and at the end of the tournament [2018 World Cup] I had a good chat with him and he could see where I was coming from.
“He understood the situation and at the same time we didn’t want to shut the door. It has been a huge honour and I am hugely grateful to the managers for the caps that I have had."
Cahill is yet to figure in the 2018-19 campaign for Chelsea under Maurizio Sarri, with Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz being preferred at centre-half.
That has seen questions asked of his future in west London, with it suggested that he could soon be on the move.