Crystal Palace and Scotland player, James McArthur has a few hours ago, announced his retirement from International football with his country.
James McArthur who is just 31, made his International debut in 2010, under coach Craig Levein, and had since made 32 International caps on various competitions and qualifiers for his country.
Taking to his social media handle to make the announcement, James McArthur put out his message:
“It is with much regret that I feel the time has arrived for me to retire from international football. I have been part of the Scotland setup for the last 10 years and I am extremely proud to have been selected to represent my country on 32 occasions.
“I have found it increasingly difficult over the last year to manage a number of physical issues. I have debated long and hard about this decision and I feel the only way for me to be able to maintain my fitness in order to continue to play at the top level is to retire from international football.
“I would like to thank all the coaches, staff and fellow players with whom I have shared my Scotland career – it has been an honour. I wish Alex McLeish and his team every success in the future.” He said.
Scotland manager McLeish added: “James has been an integral member of the national team since his debut back in 2010. We will miss James but we fully respect and understand his need to manage his body as he approaches the latter stages of his career.
“I know that James had his heart set on reaching the coveted 50-cap mark, so for him to retire from international football must have been an extremely difficult decision to make. His goal against the then-world champions Germany will serve as one of a number of highlights in his international career.
“We wish him all the best for the future – he has been not only a valued teammate but a consummate professional throughout his Scotland career. The challenge now is for our other midfielders to step up into the breach and perform at the level at which James did for Scotland.”