England attacking midfielder Fran Kirby has announced her status from planetary shot with contiguous effect earlier the European Championships.
In an exclusive interrogation with BBC Sport, Kirby says she is leaving the planetary country with her "head held high".
The Brighton player, who has 77 caps for the Lionesses, has been a cardinal fig for England for much than a decade.
Kirby was named successful Sarina Weigman's squad for the Uefa Nations League matches against Portugal and Spain but was informed she would not beryllium selected for the Euros starting connected 2 July.
In her archetypal interrogation aft announcing her retirement, Kirby said: "It is thing I person been reasoning astir for implicit a year. I knew this was going to beryllium my past large tournament.
"The program was to discontinue aft the Euros but aft speaking to Sarina I'm not going to marque the squad.
"It was similar a dagger to my bosom but besides a value disconnected my shoulders each astatine the aforesaid time. It was affectional for some of america but we some respected what each idiosyncratic was saying."
The quality comes conscionable days aft goalkeeper Mary Earps besides retired from planetary shot earlier England effort to support their Euros title.
Kirby, 31, is understood to person informed her England team-mates of the determination aft Tuesday's clash against Spain successful Barcelona.
Her past England quality was arsenic a second-half substitute successful the 6-0 triumph implicit Portugal. She was not named successful the matchday squad against Spain.
The erstwhile Chelsea player, who is simply a two-time PFA Women's Footballer of the Year winner, is 1 of the astir recognisable pistillate players successful the country.
Kirby won 7 Women's Super League (WSL) titles and 5 Women's FA Cup trophies astatine Chelsea, but she is champion remembered for playing a cardinal relation successful England's historical Euro 2022 triumph.
She started each six of England's games successful the tournament, scoring twice, arsenic Wiegman's broadside lifted the trophy with triumph implicit Germany astatine Wembley.
"When I woke up successful the greeting aft telling Sarina, I didn't consciousness immoderate regret," added Kirby. "That's erstwhile I knew I'd made the close decision.
"I've been connected this squad for a agelong time, it's not going to beryllium a daze that it was coming to an end.
"You get to a definite property and determination are immoderate truly bully youngsters that are coming through."
Kirby, who started her vocation astatine Reading, scored 7 goals successful 17 WSL appearances this play arsenic Brighton finished fifth.
"I've enactment everything into this and consciousness similar I person had a bully home year," she said.
"I've fought hard to beryllium successful the Euros squad but unluckily that's not enough."
Kirby has battled with wounded issues and unwellness passim her career, struggling with fatigue successful the build-up to Euro 2022 and missing the 2023 World Cup with a genu wounded that required surgery.
"Everyone knows the injuries that I've had and I've been protecting my body," she said.
"This is portion of that. But I consciousness similar I've got truthful overmuch to springiness successful football. I'm already looking guardant to the home season."
After being successful the England squad since I was 21, it's clip to adjacent that section of my life. I didn't ever privation this time to come, but I cannot archer you however arrogant I americium it happened.
It's been the biggest honour to correspond my country, 1 that I had lone dreamt astir arsenic a young girl.
I've played with immoderate unthinkable players, worked with immoderate unthinkable managers, played successful immoderate astonishing tournaments and person irreplaceable memories.
My travel has been afloat of ups and downs, setbacks and achievements. Enough has been said and written astir those, but careless of immoderate was thrown astatine me, I privation you each to cognize that each clip I enactment connected that England badge I gave it 100%.
Every azygous call-up, I accepted my relation and did immoderate was needed for the team. I wanted England to win. I've ever been determination to assistance England win.
My mum had a imagination of maine representing my state and I'm truthful arrogant I was capable to bash that and play successful beforehand of you all.
I volition never, ever hide the sound erstwhile my sanction is work retired astatine a stadium. I was archetypal selected erstwhile I was playing successful WSL 2, I played a portion successful the game-changing World Cup, wininng bronze successful 2015, creating memories of a lifetime.
Starting successful each crippled and winning the Euros successful 2022 was a imagination travel true, to beryllium portion of alteration successful women's shot was 1 of the champion experiences I could ever person imagined.
Thank you to each of you for embracing maine arsenic a young miss from Reading who had a dream. I anticipation you each cognize that wearing that badge was the top honour.
To each young miss that suffers setbacks, conscionable retrieve you can. You can. Forever a Lioness, Fran.
English (US) ·