Ex-Aston Villa ace John Gidman says Luke Young could regret announcing England retirement
Nov 12 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail
Luke Young
FORMER Villa and England right-back John Gidman fears Luke Young could live to regret announcing his retirement from international football in World Cup season.
But Gidman understands from bitter experience Young’s frustration at his lack of Three Lions opportunities and has urged the defender’s critics to respect his choice.
Young’s decision to hang up his international boots was made public yesterday after Fabio Capello attempted to call him up as a late replacement for Glen Johnson.
The Liverpool defender withdrew with a knock picked up against Blues and Capello intended to turn to Young for Saturday’s showpiece friendly against Brazil in Qatar.
But it has emerged the former Middlesbrough full-back wrote to the Football Association in February to inform them he no longer wished to be considered for England duty.
And when, in the wake of Johnson’s injury, FA officials contacted Young on Tuesday evening, the player rejected their request to consider adding to his seven caps.
“I suppose he’s looked at it two ways,” said Gidman, who made almost 200 appearances for Villa throughout the 1970s.
“He could either think ‘I’ll keep my options open and keep my fingers crossed that I get called up and get a game’.
