Dejan Lovren: Croatia defender retires from internationals
- Published
Dejan Lovren made his first appearance for Croatia in 2009
Croatia defender Dejan Lovren has announced his retirement from international football 14 years after making his debut for his country.
The 33-year-old, who is in his second spell at Lyon, won 78 caps and played in the 2018 World Cup final when Croatia lost 4-2 to France in Moscow.
The former Liverpool player was also part of the Croatia squad that finished third at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Lovren likened wearing the Croatia shirt to "putting on Superman's cape".
"As a child, I dreamt of playing at major tournaments and getting to put on that red and white shirt," said Lovren.
"I put on the Croatian checkers for the first time when I was nine years old and I will never forget that special feeling - like putting on Superman's cape."
Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic hailed Lovren as "one of the locker-room leaders" capable of "motivating the whole team".
"In his career, he faced a lot of criticism and mistrust, but he was always a formidable fighter who can be very proud of what he has achieved," added Dalic.
Lovren, who also had a spell at Southampton, spent six years at Liverpool and helped the Reds win the Champions League in 2018-19 and Premier League in 2019-20.
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