Ghana midfielder Derek Boateng has confirmed his retirement from international football insisting he has to concentrate solely on club football.
The 34 year old who plays OFI Crete in Greece wants to focus only on Club insisting he has paid his dues for the national team.
The former Fulham midfielder came to prominence after an outstanding FIFA under 20 world cup in Argentina 2001.
He has since went on to featured for the national team as well big European sides including Panathaniakos.
“Right now, it’s like I’m old now in the game and when it comes to national team, now we have so many good young players who run a lot, so I’ve decided to stay back,” Derek told Metro TV Sports File.
“A player like Christian Atsu can run you rugged for 90 minutes, you’ll need to pick a taxi before you can match his speed. Combining national team and club duties is sometimes difficult because it involves a lot of travel, it’s tough to keep up with it.”
“I’ve had a lot of games under my belt and I think it’s time I accept reality. I’m very proud of my achievements with the team; it’s a joy to have served my country at the highest level.”
Derek Boatenghas played 47times for the country scoring just a goal. He also featured for the Black Stars in the World Cup in Germany 2006 when he came on to replace Otto Addo in the 2-0 win over Czech Republic.