Clare Polkinghorne has announced she will retire from international football in November of this year.

The 35-year-old defender made her debut for the AFC giants all the way back in 2006 aged just 17, and would go on to play at the next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in China.

She then travelled to each of the next four editions of the tournament, including last year’s showpiece, which was hosted across her homeland and neighbouring New Zealand.

“The team has been a massive part of my life for 18-and-a-half years,” she told 10 News.

“It’s definitely going to be difficult to say goodbye. Being a footballer has been the best job in the world, and I’ve been lucky enough to have that as a career for many, many years, and I’ve loved every part of it.”

In total, Polkinghorne has played a record 167 matches for the Matildas, scoring 16 times. She will now finish off her storied international career with a game against Brazil in her hometown of Brisbane on 28 November.