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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Rachel Furness taking break from international football "for foreseeable future"

Rachel Furness has announced she is taking a break from international football "for the foreseeable future".

Northern Ireland's record goalscorer has made herself unavailable for selection for next month's World Cup qualifiers and training camps, citing personal reasons for her withdrawal.

The 34-year-old Liverpool midfielder - who has 38 goals in 85 caps for her country - insists she is not retiring from international football.

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She also said she hopes to make herself available for selection "in the future".

Furness added in a statement: "“(This is) A decision that I’ve found incredibly hard but one I feel is right. I have informed the Irish Football Association that I am making myself unavailable for selection for the upcoming games and training camps for the foreseeable future, due to personal reasons.

“I’d like to put on record that I am not retiring from international football and I hope to make myself available again in the future.

“I wish al the girls the best.”

Northern Ireland boss Kenny Shiels will name his latest squad on Friday morning ahead of next month's World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Latvia.

The senior women’s team play Luxembourg on Friday, September 2 at Stade Émile Mayrisch in Esch-sur-Alzette before taking on Latvia at the Daugava National Stadium in Riga on Tuesday, September 6.

They will be the first games since Northern Ireland played at the summer's Euros in England.

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