5 players who came out of international retirement
International football can be a fickle beast. Players are driven by the emotion that is generated by playing for their countries, yet this is often countered by the practicality of fitting in numerous extra games into what is already often a packed schedule.
As such, many who are winding down their careers choose to turn their back on their national teams for the good of their careers at club level. Often, they feel, it can mean adding another season or two onto their longevity.
But while there are many who do hang up their boots for their countries, returning to action at critical moments is not so uncommon.
Perhaps a player sees their team in trouble in a qualifying campaign or believes he can help them go further in a major final, and sometimes the reasons for returning are purely emotional.
Here are 5 examples of big-name players who stepped away only to be drawn back – some more than once:
#5 Gianluigi Buffon
That Italy will not be at World Cup 2018 is a great shame for the competition, as the Azzurri bring a sense of history and grandeur to the competition.
Although they ultimately did not prove up to scratch under Gian Piero Ventura, crashing out at the playoff stage to Sweden, that was certainly not the fault of legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who may well be the greatest exponent of his position in history.
In the aftermath of that 1-0 two-legged loss to the Swedes, the 40-year-old goalkeeper announced that it was the end of his international career.
However, he has returned to the national squad after being called by interim coach Luigi Di Biagio.
The tragic passing of Davide Astori has inspired him to join up with the team on at least this occasion.
“He’s a reason why I’m here. I wanted to be present and respond to this feeling,” he told the media.
“I’m here because I’ve always been a person who has followed through with what they have said, with a sense of responsibility.
“These two things are enough, and what’s more, Di Biagio was very nice to me. The young guys have already grown up and will have the space they need.”
With Buffon still mulling over retirement from the game entirely at the end of the season, these forthcoming fixtures against Argentina and England may provide only a brief reprise for the 2006 World Cup winner, yet they would allow him to depart on his own terms, and not in the sad circumstances that haunted the squad last autumn.