The defender has been outstanding for his club in the Premiership and Champions League over the last two seasons, but he is not even first reserve with England, a fact that was highlighted last month when, with Rio Ferdinand injured, Ledley King started ahead of him in a key Euro 2008 qualifier in Estonia.

Carragher, 29, has also grown frustrated at being used as a stand-in left or right-back rather than in his preferred role in the middle, where Ferdinand and captain John Terry form McClaren's first-choice partnership.

"There are a number of reasons why I've been thinking about this (international retirement)," Carragher told Monday's edition of the Liverpool Echo.

"I first thought about it after the World Cup because I wondered how many chances I'd get for England at centre half.

"Then when Sol Campbell was out of the picture I thought I could put pressure on Rio Ferdinand for the other centre half position alongside John Terry.

"Given my form for Liverpool, I genuinely thought that was possible, but over the last 12 months players like Jonathan Woodgate and Ledley King have played there ahead of me.

"I can't really argue with that because they're top drawer players. It's not as if they're Mickey Mouse defenders.

"Even in the last two games against Brazil and Estonia, England conceded just one goal, so people can argue the manager got his decision spot on.

"It's just that from a purely personal point of view, it's been disappointing because after some of my performances for Liverpool I thought I deserved a chance.