Gary Cahill decides to step down from England duty

Chelsea captain Gary Cahill has decided to step back from England duty for the time being in order to concentrate on his club career. The centre-back was included in the Three Lions squad for the summer World Cup but he managed just one appearance for them during the group stage game versus Belgium which had no meaning.

Since returning to club duty, there have been suggestions that Cahill could be excluded from future squads with England with regular Premier League football but the 32-year-old has now taken the advance decision of stepping down with honour, 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. 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. I had a good chat with the manager and he could see where I was coming from.”

Cahill’s decision comes at a time where he has struggled to make a mark under Maurizio Sarri. The new Blues boss has recently iterated the importance of Cahill within the squad ,but he has nevertheless urged him to keep patience with Antonio Rudiger and David Luiz for now being the preferred picks at the heart of the defence.

Meanwhile, talking about international retirements, Jamie Vardy has been another high-profile player who has stepped down from national team duty stressing that he wants to place more focus on his family and club football. The marksman only recently penned a fresh long-term deal with Leicester City and he is now prepared to concentrate on the Foxes, though he has not ruled out an England return until extreme situations. Vardy is presently serving a three-match ban after receiving a straight red card during the 2-0 triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers.