Luke Young has turned down the opportunity to replace Glen Johnson in the England squad to face Brazil in Qatar. The Aston Villa defender has also removed himself from the frame for further call-ups by retiring from international football.
Andy Evans, Young's agent, has confirmed the news and said that his client had made the decision to prolong his career with Villa.
Young was offered the chance to travel with England after Johnson returned to Liverpool on Tuesday evening with an injury. The Football Association approached Young and suggested he might take Johnson's place, but the defender is understood to have politely declined.
The 30 year-old, who has spent the last three months recovering from the twin traumas of a thigh injury and the death of his half brother, also told the FA that he is no longer available for selection.
Young has endured a litany of woes since July. The 30 year-old picked up a thigh injury whilst on Villa’s pre-season tour in Spain, and was sent home early to recuperate.
His rehabilitation was interrupted, however, by the tragic news that his half-brother Andre, 17, had been found dead in the Greek holiday resort of Malia.
Having returned to Villa after a period of physical and mental rehabilitation, he has been confronted by the realisation that he is no longer one of the first names put down on the team-sheet.
It is therefore likely that the defender has chosen to retire from international football so as to concentrate on getting back into the first team at Villa.
"I came back in pre-season looking forward to the new campaign,” Young recalled. “I had the bit between my teeth – a real determination to succeed.
Then I picked up niggling thigh injuries that I couldn't get rid of and then the family bereavement which was difficult to get over.”
Although Young was already off training because of his injury, he was given time away from the club to recover. But he realised that the best medicine was returning to Bodymoor Heath and getting back into training to direct his mind elsewhere.
“In the first few weeks after what happened I didn't really want to do anything,” he said. “It was really tough. Then you come in and train hard and it gives you something else to think about. Now it's a long time gone and I'm ready to focus on my football.
"I have been back training for a while now and training really, really hard. But I couldn't get straight back into the team because the lads were doing so well and rightfully there was no room at the inn for me. That was frustrating, being ready to play but having to wait for your opportunity.”
That chance came at the weekend when he started against Bolton, in place of the suspended Carlos Cuellar, and memories of his brother flooded back during the minute's silence for Remembrance Day. "It all came back to me on Saturday," he said. "It was quite emotional.”
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