Manchester City magician David Silva has announced his retirement from international football.
Silva is relieved of duty for Spain after making an incredible 129 appearances for La Roja since making his debut at the age of 20 in 2006 against Romania.
Silva was also part of the team that made history by winning back-to-back Euro Championships, interceded for the country’s first, and so far only, World Cup victory. This unprecedented achievement happened between 2008 and 2012 and will be extremely hard to surpass.
He is the sixth most-capped player in the country’s history, and the fourth highest goalscorer. Silvia’s former Valencia teammate David Villa tops the list.
On Twitter today, Silva’s statement declared:
"It is not easy, after everything I have experienced, to sit down and write this letter. There have been days and weeks of reflection and analysis to make the decision to finish my time in the Spain national team. Without a doubt it is one of the hardest decisions in my career.
The national team has given me everything and has allowed me to grow as a player and as a person from my first days in the youth set-up. I leave with pride after playing 125 games and scoring 35 goals in a 12-year spell where we lifted the World Cup and two European Championships.
I leave happy with all I have achieved, experienced and dreamed with a team that will be remembered forever, and I have ended an era filled with emotion from all those moments that come to my mind, like the figure of Luis Aragones, a teacher that none of us will ever forget. I cannot leave without thanking all of my team-mates, the coaches that had faith in me and the RFEF employees that do everything to make our lives easier.
I also want to thank my family for their support over the years, without their help I would never have been able to form part of this team. And of course, the fans who have always given me their support and respect every time I wore the Spain shirt.
Thank you, good luck and farewell!”
Silva follows Barcelona stalwart Gerard Piqué in deciding to leave the Spanish national team this summer, as well as Piqué's former club teammate Andrés Iniesta, now of Japanese side Vissel Kobe.
