Beiruting News

Former England captain John Terry has retired from international football just hours before a Football Association hearing into claims he racially abused an opponent was due to begin.

The 31-year-old chelsea captain, who won 78 caps for his country, is to go before an independent four-man commission on Monday, which was convened under the auspices of the FA, to defend himself against a charge of using racially abusive language towards Anton Ferdinand, the Queens Park Rangers defender.

The 31-year-old Chelsea defender denies using a racial slur against QPR's Anton Ferdinand and was found not guilty of a racially-aggravated public order offence at Westminster Magistrates' Court in July.

On its website, Chelsea FC said: "This was a personal and difficult decision for John to take as playing for and captaining his country was a boyhood dream."