Kim Little is stepping away from international football at the age of 31 after 14 years playing with the senior Scotland side; the midfielder helped Scotland qualify for Euro 2017 and the World Cup in 2019
Wednesday 1 September 2021 13:47, UK
Arsenal midfielder Kim Little has announced her retirement from international duty with Scotland after amassing 140 caps for her country.
The 31-year-old has taken the decision to bring the curtain down on her international career before the 2023 Women's World Cup qualification campaign begins this month.
Little, who was a part of the Great Britain squad that competed at Tokyo 2020, will now shift her focus towards the beginning of the new Women's Super League (WSL) season with club side Arsenal.
In a statement, Little said: "Stepping away from playing international football is something I have been considering for a while and I feel now is the right time to make that change.
"I am proud of the 15 years I have spent representing the national team. I have developed and grown as a person through my experiences representing my country and know they will help me in countless ways in the future.
"Thank you to my team-mates for being incredibly empowering and inspiring women. My most vivid and fondest memories are from being by your side on and off the pitch through good times and some challenging times, pushing for progress for the women's game.
"I now look forward to supporting you all from afar and can't wait to watch you perform and continue to improve the women's game in Scotland, paving the way for more young girls to have a career as a footballer.
"I want to wish Pedro (Martinez Losa) and the team all the very best for the up-and-coming qualifiers in September and for the rest of the campaign and beyond."
Little scored 59 goals on the international stage, helping Scotland to qualify for their first major tournament in the shape of Euro 2017, which she missed through injury, and the 2019 World Cup.
At club level, Little began her career at Hibernian before joining Arsenal for her first spell with the side between 2008 and 2013.
She then spent two years with Seattle Reign, which included a loan spell in Australia with Melbourne City, before rejoining Arsenal in 2017.
A post on the official Scotland twitter account read: "For the goals, for the incredible memories, for taking us to our first ever major tournaments, for inspiring the next generation of footballers to follow in your footsteps - for everything:
"Thank you, Kim."