Horlock announces Irish leave
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Article summary
Manchester City FC's Kevin Horlock has brought the curtain down on his international career with Northern Ireland.
Article body
Squad withdrawal
The 30-year-old withdrew from Sammy McIlroy's squad for the UEFA EURO 2004™ Group 6 qualifying tie in Armenia on Saturday for family reasons. Horlock, capped 30 times, made his debut in 1995 against Latvia and had been an ever present since.
Reasons for leaving
He told his club's official website: "It is with regret I announce my retirement from international football. This has been a difficult decision to make and one which I have taken after due discussion with my family. I wish to stress this decision has been made for family and personal reasons alone.
Proud career
"I feel very proud to have represented Northern Ireland over the past ten years and I have the greatest respect for the coach Sammy McIlroy, his backroom staff and my team-mates. I would like to take this opportunity to wish the Northern Ireland team all the very best for the future and for their forthcoming EURO 2004 qualifiers."
