Southgate doesn't want Cahill to retire

Cahill was the most experienced player to be included in the England squad, being the only player to have over 50 caps in the squad.

As Gareth Southgate tries to usher in a new era of English internatioal football and the youth-oriented squad that can facilitate that, he is still keen for Cahill to remain avaliable for selection.

The Chelsea man will provide much-needed experience for the younger players in the setup such as John Stones and Joe Gomez, who are ahead in the pecking order for starting spots but are just 24 and 21 respectively.

England's team could get even younger than it was during the World Cup, with the likes of Ryan Sessgnon, Phil Foden and Jaydon Sancho all possibly being included in the squad to be announced next week, which means that the 32-year old defender's know-how could be even more crucial.

The 'Three Lions' will play Spain next month in the Nations League, before playing Switzerland in a friendly match.