Double Olympic medallist Susannah Townsend is calling time on her international hockey career after 13 years at the highest level.
Townsend was part of the GB team that memorably won gold in Rio in 2016, and continued to play an integral role in the team as they followed that up with bronze in Tokyo this summer.
And now, after 188 international appearances, 90 for GB and a further 98 for England, Townsend is calling it a day, with her final game coming in the 4-3 bronze-medal match victory over India.
She said: “Hockey has given me more than I could have ever dreamt of.
“It has given me a sense of belonging and acceptance where I have always felt at home. Hockey is my family, it has given me unconditional support and love like I've never known, it doesn't get much better than that.
"Thank you for helping shape me into the person I am today. I've truly had the time of my life.
“I wish the GB women's hockey team the best of luck for the future. I'll be your biggest fan as always.”
Townsend won European Championship gold with England in 2015, as well as Commonwealth silver and bronze during her career.
Ed Barney, performance director GB hockey paid tribute to the midfielder and everything she has achieved at the highest level.
2008 - 2021 living my dream with my best mates ♥️
— Susannah Townsend OLY (@stownsend7) August 17, 2021
I've had the time of my life. Thank you 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/uHPTRLNJnN
He said: “Susannah has been an inspiration to the squad – a true diamond who has left an indelible mark on England and Great Britain Hockey.
“Susannah’s commitment, drive and unwavering passion for the team is unsurpassed and it has been a delight to see her in such enviable form over the past year. It has not always been easy and Susannah’s commitment to strive through the challenging times and graft through various injuries has been an example to all.
“Her impact and dominance in midfield will be difficult to replace but we know that Susannah will continue to ‘be with’ the programme in many ways over the coming years.”
Former England and Great Britain women’s head coach Mark Hager added: “Having coached against Susannah for many years I always admired her fighting spirit, it wasn’t until I had the pleasure to see first-hand how much this fighting spirit meant to her teammates as well as staff.
"A never-say-die attitude no matter how the match was transpiring can only be admired.
“The laughter Susannah bought to the group was infectious and I know the staff and her teammates will miss not having her around; her ability to bring a group together was valued so much by the staff and players.
"She was always looking for ways to ensure everyone felt included in whatever activity she was involved in.
“On a personal note, I can’t thank Susannah enough for making contact occasionally to make sure I was ok. I will always look back fondly of my time coaching Susannah – I learnt a lot from such a beautiful person and wish her well in her future endeavours.”