[shermanator]

Hutchinson has mentioned he will retire from international soccer after the 2019 Gold Cup

SN: Can you explain why it’s been more than a year since you’ve played for Canada? The coaching staff reached out to you over the past 13 months, but you decided to turn down their invites. Did you just need a break?

Hutchinson: It was mostly injury related. My body wasn’t feeling as good. At the end of last season [in Turkey], I had an ankle operation, so I was just rehabbing from that.

I was also thinking about things, and what I wanted to do. Before this past summer, I was speaking a little with John [Herdman] about what I wanted to do and what he wanted from me. It was good to have that talk and clear things up, and have a clear vision of what I wanted to do.

In my mind, and from what we spoke about, I want to be involved and play in these [Concacaf Nations League] games, get used to the group, and be a leader as much as I can right until next year’s [Concacaf] Gold Cup. Playing in the Gold Cup would be a good time for me, and then probably after that I’ll call it a day with the national team.

That’s the way I’m looking at and we’re looking at it, to play in one last tournament. Hopefully we can achieve some success with the country at the Gold Cup, something I’ve pretty much missed my entire career.

SN: So, the plan is to play in these upcoming Nations League matches, and at next summer’s Gold Cup, and then you’d retire from the national team?

Hutchinson: Yeah, I think so. That’s the way I’m looking at it. That’s where my mindset is now.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/hutc...nal-team-gold-cup/