Ince considers international retirement
expressandstar.com reports.
Walsall goalkeeper Clayton Ince is considering retiring from international football after seeing his World Cup dreams crushed.
Trinidad and Tobago cannot qualify for South Africa next year after they were beaten by Honduras and the USA last week – leaving them bottom of their CONCACAF group.
Ince will be 41 at the start of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and is thinking of hanging up his international gloves after the last round of 2010 qualifiers.
He said: “I’m considering it. It doesn’t make sense me going to friendlies at my age, get the youngsters on for some experience and let me concentrate what I have to do.
“It’s not wise for me to push myself. At my age you are looking at 2014 and I don’t think I’ll be there then, so it’s not going to make much of a difference. I haven’t called it a day yet but the youngsters need an opportunity, while I need to weigh my options up and rest my body.
“I can’t carry on like I am, especially with all the travelling.”
The 37-year-old, who made his Soca Warriors debut in a 7-2 win against Martinique in 1994, has 79 caps and was in the squad for the 2006 World Cup.
But Ince admits any decision to play on may be taken from him if coach Russell Latapy opts to blood youngsters in their final qualifying games against Costa Rica and Mexico in October.
The goalkeeper said: “We can’t qualify again, so we’ll wait and see whether they select me. It’s all up in the air.
“They have young goalkeepers, so I don’t know if they will choose them to give them the international experience or call me back for a couple of games.
“After October, we can decide what’s going on and I’ll be putting my head down and making sure Walsall do well in the league. I’ve got two years at this club and will give it a good go.”
Ince has a goalkeeping school in the Caribbean, but is undecided whether he would go into coaching full-time if his country asked him.
He added: “I haven’t decided on that yet, I’m still a player so I need to concentrate on my playing days, but when the time comes for me to coach I’ll decide whether I want to do it.
