West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt has announced his retirement from international football with immediate effect, after an emphatic 14-year career.
The 33-year-old veteran made his debut for Northern Ireland in 2004 while playing for Sheffield Wednesday, his first cap came in a goalless draw in Zurich against Switzerland. Brunt went on to make a further 64 appearances for his homeland, scoring three goals, the first on his 22nd cap against San Marino.
The decision to finish his international career will be of huge benefit for West Brom, with the club captain able to now focus solely on the league and helping the Baggies return to the Premier League.
The timing of this announcement will be beneficial to both Brunt and WBA, with the midfielder now approaching his mid-30s and on the back of a serious knee injury that ended his hopes of playing in the European Championships in 2016. A reoccurrence of such an injury could seriously jeopardise Brunt’s future as a player and by taking the extra strain off physically that comes with international duty, it will certainly benefit Brunt in the long run.
Being relegated from the Premiership aways proves to harder than expected for most clubs, but West Brom have adjusted to Championship life fairly easily so far. The Baggies have taken seven points from a possible nine so far and are on the back of that massive 7-1 win over QPR.
West Brom received a massive boost in their hopes for promotion, by keeping hold of Jay Rodriguez and Craig Dawson at the club this summer, despite major interested from Premier League sides. Burnley were the most serious suitors, having had a combined bid of £25m for both players rejected. Darren Moore’s men continue their Championship campaign tomorrow against Middlesbrough.
