Football Association chairman David Bernstein has cast doubt on the possibility of John Terry returning to the England squad.
The Chelsea defender retired from international duty in September 2012 insisting his position was “untenable” after he was found guilty of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand by the FA.
Recent newspaper reports had suggested that the 32-year-old was considering making himself available to Roy Hodgson again, but Bernstein says he has heard nothing of the sort.
“I think that’s an academic question because he’s in retirement. He’s not announced he is coming out of retirement – and if he did, the initial decision will be down to the manager,” he said.
“I’m not going to comment personally on that. But one thing about John Terry is that he always used to take his football seriously, and therefore I took his retirement seriously.
“Until I hear to the contrary, he stays retired.”
The former England skipper refused to shake Bernstein’s hand when the pair met at the UEFA Champions League trophy handover event last month.
Terry has made just 13 Premier League appearances this season having failed to break back into Rafael Benitez’s team following a lengthy injury absence.
The London-born centre-back won the last of his 78 caps in a 5-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Moldova.
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