Jamie Carraghers international "stance"

Tyler Durden

What's your opinion of how Jamie Carragher handled his "retirement" from international football.

I know some of you are not English in the UK side of things, so I guess you'll just have to try and see it from an Englishman's view....not easy I know!

To recap, Carragher retired from international football after the fixtures at the tail end of last season. He was miffed that with an injury in the regular positions in the centre of defence, he was firstly moved to right back against Brazil, and then left out altogether in favour of Ledley King against Estonia. He also stated he wanted to prepare fully for his Liverpool career from hereon in as he was 29.

I'm a little torn about this whole thing. Sure, I can understand him not wanting to travel around the world anymore as a back up player. I can throughly "get" that. However, in September and October this year England struggled badly with a lack of Centre Backs (through injury and suspension) and Carragher was still unavailable (though he denies being asked by MacLaren whereas MacLaren says Carragher was not interested).

England would have surely not defended so badly in the games against both Russia and Croatia with Carragher in the side's centre defence and therefore, would have quite possibly qualified (though undeservedly).

I am all in favour of any player internationally retiring. It's their choice. However, for me, Carragher's decision was unlike that of someone like Shearer's since it came midway through a qualifiying campaign and, as such, smacked of throwing his toys out of the pram. Similarly, whilst I can understand him not wanting to travel as a reserve, I cannot understand him turning down the chance (if true) to comeback and make himself available in a time of crisis. That, to me, was not a decision I could take easily from him.

So...what is your opinion of the choices made in this matter?