Caroline Graham Hansen has announced she will take a break from international football with Norway after revealing she has been suffering with heart problems for the past year.
The winger is regarded as one of the finest players in world football, winning six league titles in Germany and Spain with Wolfsburg and current club Barcelona.
Graham Hansen has been capped 97 times by Norway and started all three matches at Euro 2022 as her side exited at the group stages. Norway’s 1-0 loss to Austria in their final group game has been confirmed as the 27-year-old’s last appearance for her country for an indefinite period of time, after announcing she needs to take a break to recover from fatigue.
However, the Barcelona winger emphasised that she hoped she would not have to call time on her international career, adding she was aiming to return to action with Norway ‘soon’.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I write this. Telling you what I’m now sharing with you,” Graham Hansen wrote on Instagram. “The national team has been a part of my life since I was 16.
“I grew up here. Made experiences, memories, and friends for life. It is the proudest thing I have done in my career. To play for Norway. Representing for my country. The love for the national team will always remain. Even now when I take a break.
“After a year of heart problems and almost 50 battles, I still feel fatigue that makes me choose to listen to my body. I need some rest. I need a pick me up. No matter how heavy this feels right now, I hope this is not a “thank you for everything” but a “see you soon.”
“I will miss the team and hope you go on and win ahead. You guys deserve to be successful. I love you with all my heart. Be stronger together and anything is possible.”
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