Laurent Koscielny Will ‘Probably’ Retire From International Duty After World Cup

Laurent Koscielny has claimed that he will probably retire from international duty after the 2018 World Cup in Russia (via Sport Witness).

Despite that disappointing second-place finish in the 2016 European Championships, there is much to be optimistic about for the French national football team.

They have probably the best young squad in international football with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba, Ousmane Dembele and Thomas Lemar all coming through at the same time.

Manager Didier Deschamps also has a vastly experienced first-team but it seems that that team won’t include one Arsenal star for much longer.

Laurent Koscielny made his international debut back in 2011 and will probably reach 50 caps in the coming weeks but the defender has claimed that his time is coming to an end.

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“I still have a few years left ahead of me, but these are probably my last few months with the France team,” the 32-year-old told La Parisien.

“Everything comes to an end, whether it be internationally or for your club.

“I think that after the World Cup, the time will have come to let the youth come through. They have the talent.

“I did what I had to do with France. I have six months left to enjoy myself and create a maximum amount of memories, as my wife would say.”

Players like Per Mertesacker and Petr Cech have already retired from international duty and it has certainly helped extend their club careers. It’s a regular thing for players to retire from international duty before their club career comes to an end and Laurent Koscielny is no different.