LONDON • Leicester City's Jamie Vardy has all but retired from playing for England after informing manager Gareth Southgate that he believes the time is right for him to focus solely on club football.

Vardy, 31, says that a number of factors have influenced his decision, including his age and a desire to spend more time with his family, after accepting he is unlikely to feature much for England even if he remains part of the squad.

The forward, who has won 26 caps and has been in every England squad since his first call-up in May 2015, spoke to Southgate just before returning from the World Cup in Russia to explain that he was thinking of stepping aside.

He confirmed that was still his intention during a telephone conversation with Southgate a fortnight ago, when the Three Lions boss wondered whether Vardy might have changed his mind before next month's friendly fixtures against Spain and Switzerland.

The 47-year-old told Vardy he felt the player "still had a lot to offer" at international level, but he also understood the thinking behind the decision.

With England not exactly blessed with striking options, Southgate and Vardy have agreed to "not shut the door completely", although he would return only if there was a major injury crisis.

"To be honest with you, this has been on my mind for a while," Vardy told The Guardian.

"I'm not getting any younger and you can see, to be fair to the gaffer, he wants to make it more youthful, which obviously had its benefits during the World Cup.

"We got to the semi-finals and finished fourth, which is equal to the furthest we have ever been on foreign soil. So I just said to Gareth that it's probably best from now on, especially with the way he wants to go, to bring in youngsters who have got the ability and start nurturing them into international football."

When asked whether the prospect of travelling with England as a fringe player had influenced his decision to stand aside, Vardy replied: "Yeah, that had an impact. When you get selected (in the England squad), you want to be playing.

"And if it's not happening, then for me, personally now, at this age, it's better to be at home, spending that time with my family and training with my club, preparing for the next game."

THE GUARDIAN