Tottenham legend Hugo Lloris explains why he decided to retire after 145 caps with France

Tottenham and France legend Hugo Lloris says he has decided to call time on his international career two-and-a-half months to the start of the Euros qualifiers.

The Spurs goalkeeper earned the last of his 145th caps at the World Cup final against Argentina where they lost by the skin of their teeth.

Despite a heroic come-back it wasn’t to be as Lionel Messi and his teammates held their nerves to lift the trophy in Qatar.

Lloris walks away after helping his country win the World Cup four years earlier in Russia and will be considered as one of the highly respected figures in French football.

He told L’equipe: “I have decided to stop my international career with the feeling that I have given everything.

“I think that it is important to announce that now with two-and-a-half- months until the start of the Euros final.”

The Spurs captain has captained France 121 times which is record and he will now channel his strength towards helping Spurs win silverware, it will be their first since 2008 if Lloris can help them to any trophy this season.

He added that he has been thinking about this since he returned to London from the World Cup. “I have been thinking about this since the end of the World Cup. There has been something inside me for the last six months and grew more during the tournament, leading me to make this decision.

“There comes a  time where you have to step aside and I have always said that the French national team is not the property of anybody.”