England prop Joe Marler has announced his retirement from international rugby on Sunday, November 3.
The player announced his retirement through an emotional video posted on his social media account.
Joe said, "It's time for me to move on. I’ve been really, really lucky to experience both the mega highs and the mega lows in an England shirt. I will cherish all of them because they all count."
The 34-year-old added, "Playing for England always felt like I was living in a dream bubble. I kept waiting for it to pop and me to suddenly go back to being a gobby, overweight 16-year-old again. But you know when it is time.”
"I want to keep untarnished all these memories of my career, both good and bad. I don't want to leave my house with my kids crying. I am ready to make the change," the player further added.
He further thanked everyone for showing support, saying, “I can’t wait to sit back and be one of guys now and enjoy where this England team goes moving forward as a proper England Rugby fan. Thank you for everything. Good bye!”
In another post, Joe posted heartwarming photos of himself hugging his long-time friend and teammate Dan Cole along with a sweet caption.
He wrote, “The first teammate I told was Dan Cole. We were sharing a room at the England hotel. I hugged him, he hugged me. The conversation went a bit like this:
Joe: I love you, mate.
Cole: I love you too. What's up?
Joe: I’m done, mate.
Cole: I know you are.”
Joe won 95 caps for England. He made his England debut in 2012 during the summer tour of South Africa. He won three Six Nations titles with England (2016, 2017, 2020).
