Former England Captain John Terry Retires from International Football

With his Football Association hearing over his alleged racial abuse of Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand looming, John Terry has announced his retirement from the England national team. 

Mail Online's Martin Samuel reported the news, and the BBC passed along this quote from Terry on the subject: 

"

I feel the FA, in pursuing charges against me where I have already been cleared in a court of law, have made my position with the national team untenable.

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The FA meeting was scheduled for Monday.

As the BBC also notes, Terry, who also plays for Chelsea, "was cleared at Westminster Magistrates' Court in July."

So the untenable situation leaves England without a supremely experienced player.

Terry has 78 caps in his fine international career, and while it is under regrettable circumstances that his international career will come to a close, it is not all that surprising. Terry is no stranger to controversy. 

After making his debut for England in 2003, Terry, 31, became the captain of the Three Lions only to have that stripped twice for off-the-field issues.

While Terry obviously had external factors leading into this decision, it does not change the fact that the timing of this announcement puts his former team in a bind. 

Terry thanked his England coaches and teammates, but it does not change the fact that this was a selfish decision. He is clearly waging in a petty fight with the FA. 

While this is not to belittle a man trying to stick to his principles, there is a time when those should be put aside for the better of the team. This is definitely one of those times. 

World Cup qualifiers take place next month, and now England manager Roy Hodgson is left with a position to fill.