Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard called it a day with England on Monday afternoon, following 14 years of excellent service for the Three Lions. Henry Jackson takes a look at how the footballing community reacted to Gerrard’s decision.
Steven Gerrard announced his international retirement on Monday, bringing an end to an England career that sees him third on the all-time list of appearance makers for his country.
The 34-year-old released a statement on the FA’s website, saying:
“I have enjoyed every minute of representing my country and it is a sad day for me knowing that I won’t pull on the England shirt again. This has been a very difficult decision, one of the toughest I’ve had to make in my career. I have agonised over this since coming back from Brazil and have spoken to family, friends and people close to me in the game before coming to this point.
“To ensure I can keep playing to a high level and giving everything to Liverpool Football Club I believe this is the right decision, and having Champions League football back at Anfield is another big factor in my decision.”
“In particular, the supporters have been amazing, not least in Brazil when they got behind the team despite the disappointing results.
“I’d especially like to thank Roy [Hodgson], firstly for giving me the captaincy permanently when he took the job, making me the proudest man in the country and allowing me to fulfil my childhood dream.
“He has been very understanding over the past few weeks and is a man I will always hold in the highest regard.”
Here’s how journalists, players, ex-players and fans reacted to Gerrard’s decision on twitter:
JOURNALISTS
OLIVER HOLT of the Mirror:
BBC sport’s PHIL MCNULTY:
LFCTV commentator JOHN BRADLEY:
The BBC’s DAN ROAN:
PLAYERS AND EX-PLAYERS
Liverpool legend JAMIE CARRAGHER:
Former Liverpool striker MICHAEL OWEN:
Former England striker GARY LINEKER:
Former England defender RIO FERDINAND:
Former Wales striker JOHN HARTSON:
Former Everton midfielder TIM CAHILL:
QPR midfielder JOEY BARTON:
LIVERPOOL FANS AND WRITERS
We would love to hear your reaction following Steven Gerrard’s international retirement. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
petikan dari Liverpool FC, This is Anfield, Teamtalk
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