Former Northern Ireland player Neil Lennon said he has retired from international football because he is not prepared to suffer more sectarian victimisation.
He expressed regret but held out little hope of a change of heart. "It is time to say 'enough is enough'. It is a real pity that it all has to end like this." Lennon said he had consulted Celtic Football Club's security advisers and his family before telling his manager, Sammy McIlroy, that he wasn't prepared to return to Windsor Park.
He said the situation, which began when he was booed by Northern Ireland fans after he signed up with Celtic, was taking its toll on his family. The death threat was the final straw. "My parents were pretty distraught.
"I've got a 10-year-old daughter who knows nothing about this at the minute and we are going to try to keep her away from it as much as we can. Obviously I can't put them [his family\] through this every time," he said.
"So I have thought long and hard about it and I have decided that I probably won't be going back to play for Northern Ireland. It is not only my parents and my family that I have to think about. I've got to think about the team. The focus is taken away from the team altogether when things like this happen and it is not the first time it has happened obviously."
Lennon said he didn't want to keep being "the focus of media attention for the wrong reasons". He described the Northern Ireland team as "a terrific bunch of lads". He said manager Sammy McIlory had been "magnificent with me throughout" and he didn't blame the IFA "one bit".