Olympic gold-medallist Sophie Bray vowed that she will never forget the 'incredible' highs she experienced in both Great Britain and England shirts.
The 28-year-old, who was part of the Team GB side that claimed an historic victory at the Rio Olympic Games in 2016, has retired from international hockey.
Bray, who also became a European champion with England in 2015 and picked up two Commonwealth Games medals, scored 44 goals in 134 international appearances and says that the decision to bring her international adventures to an end was far from easy.
“After a very tough couple of months, it is with great sadness that I have taken the difficult decision to step down from international hockey,” said Bray, who was awarded an MBE for her part in winning Great Britain’s first women’s Olympic hockey gold medal.
“It has been a huge honour to represent Great Britain and England, and I will be forever grateful for all the incredible memories in an international shirt.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has supported and believed in me and made the amazing journey so special.
“I still have a lot to give the sport I love and I am looking forward to what the future holds.”
Great Britain and England Hockey performance director Ed Barney said: “On behalf of the organisation, I would like to offer Sophie a huge thank you for her years of dedication and commitment to the sport.
“Sophie has been an integral member of the programme and brought a huge amount to our attacking play.
“She was a key player in a very successful period for the women’s programme and her skills, quality and tenacity have been invaluable to the women’s team.
“We respect Sophie’s decision and we will miss her as she steps away from the international programme. We wish her all the very best in the future.” Sportsbeat 2019