The Lionesses’ Euro 2022 hero announces a surprise retirement from international football, after making 84 international appearances in his stellar career with England

A member of England’s heroic Euro 2022 squad has announced a shock retirement from international action.

The Lionesses did something neither the women’s nor the men’s team had ever done when winning the European Championship under the arches of Wembley in the summer of 2022: defeating Germany 2-1.

After 84 caps, the most recent of which came on Tuesday night with a cameo off the bench against the Republic of Ireland, one of those stars has made the difficult decision to hang up his boots at the age of 32.

Rachel Daly was a big part of that team, the Aston Villa star starting at left back on that memorable day with the Lionesses.

The versatile forward and full-back took to social media to share her shock announcement, stating that it had been a “privilege” to play for England and she would be “eternally grateful” for the opportunity to do so.

Your browser does not support iframes.

On Instagram he posted: “I would love nothing more than to play for England forever, but the time has come to hang up my boots on the international stage.

‘While today is an extremely difficult day for me, it is also a day filled with reflection and immense gratitude. Playing and representing England has been the greatest honour.

‘During my eight years as a Lioness, I have always sought success and winning football matches, while playing and training with the highest standards of competition, passion and perseverance.

‘It has been a great honor to represent my family, my teammates and the entire country. “I have many incredible memories during my time in England that have been pivotal moments.”

England coach Sarina Wiegman added that working with Daly has been a “privilege”.

In a statement on England’s official website, Wiegman said: “Rachel has been an incredible part of our story and the history we have made together. “It has been a privilege to work with her.

“I have never worked with such a versatile player, always with a smile on her face, providing energy and trying to give her best for the team.

‘Off the field she is always willing to joke or have a nice conversation. She will be missed not only by me, but also by all the other members of the staff, the players and of course the fans.

“It’s sad that she is no longer with us, but we should celebrate what she has done for the team and now she is our number one fan. I would love to see her in the stands in the future cheering us on and helping us achieve more victories.”

Daly made his debut for the Lionesses in 2016, scoring in a 7-0 thrashing of Serbia in Euro 2017 qualifying, although he would then spend a year out of the competition.

The appointment of Phil Neville to the bench to replace Mark Sampson marked a return to the fold, before Daly became a key part of Wiegman’s England team.

He was part of the team that reached the 2023 World Cup final, but was defeated 1-0 by Spain in Australia.