London, Jan 7 (IANS): Cameroon and West Ham midfielder Alex Song has retired from international football after his exclusion from his country's Africa Cup of Nations squad.

Song announced on photo-sharing online platform Instagram Tuesday: "I have taken the decision to retire from International football."

"Since the World Cup in the summer and my subsequent exclusion from the Cameroon squad for the Africa Cup of Nations I have taken the decision to retire from international football,' he said.

"It is true that there were some discussions of late to include me in the squad for this tournament but I feel after a lot of careful thought and numerous discussions with my family this (international retirement) is the right decision."

The FC Barcelona midfielder, on loan at West Ham, said he was seeking a fresh start to his career after a forgetful spell in Spain where he struggled to adapt to the conditions and rarely got first team action.

"My love for my country will never change but I want to take time to focus purely on domestic football and start to rebuild my career at West Ham United. I wish Cameroon all the best and the team will always be in my heart," the 27-year-old said.