Wayne Rooney retires from international football

Striker informs Southgate to not be considered for England duty anymore

LONDON: England's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney announced on Wednesday he is retiring from international football with immediate effect, despite England manager Gareth Southgate telling him he had earned a recall.

The 31-year-old — scorer of 53 goals in 119 appearances for his country — told Southgate of his decision during a phone conversation.

A matter of Wayne, not if

"Having already thought long and hard, I told Gareth that I had now decided to retire for good from international football," said Rooney in a statement sent to Press Association Sport.