THOMAS SORENSEN will focus on his battle to be Stoke City’s first choice goalkeeper after announcing the decision to bring his distinguished international career to an end.
The 36-year-old Danish star believes that choosing to end his international career now after winning 101 caps for his country will help him to prolong his time in the game at club level.
Sorensen’s immediate aim is to contest the number one spot with Asmir Begovic at the Britannia Stadium after playing an influential part in the Club’s success over the past four years.
“I feel that I have another three or four more years left in me yet and this decision will enable me to focus on my club career,” he explained. “I felt it was the right time to step down.
“It had been at the back of my mind that the Euro Finals this summer would be the finishing point to my international career, but then the injury came along which threw that into some doubt.
“After giving the matter careful consideration and conversations with the Denmark coach over the past few months, I feel there are no real doubts now that it is the right decision.”
He added: “It’s never easy to make that sort of decision when something has been such a big part of your life, as playing for my country has been for the past 10-12 years.
“I’m proud of what I have achieved and I’ve got some wonderful memories; playing in two World Cups and two European Championships, while other moments that stand out are the great games we’ve had with our close rivals Sweden when I’ve played a vital role.”
Sorensen will now concentrate on the competition which he has at the Britannia Stadium as he aims to prove that there a good few seasons left in him at the highest level.
“In many respects, this is the start of something new for me and I will be giving my all for Stoke from now on in the hope that I can feature in the manager’s plans,” he said.
“This gives me some breathing space because going away on international duty was always very hard. It was 10 days virtually every month through the season where the training is very intense and it’s certainly no walk in the park being involved in the national squad.
“Now, I will have more time to recover and keep the focus, which can only improve my chances of playing for much longer which is what I want to do at club level.”