Julie Nelson (left) and Ashley Hutton are Northern Ireland's two most-capped women internationals
Ashley Hutton has retired from international football following the end of Northern Ireland's Euro 2022 campaign.
The defender made her 115th and final appearance as an 87th-minute substitute in England's 5-0 win in Southampton.
On the night of her 100th cap, Hutton's last-minute equaliser against Wales ultimately secured a play-off position for the Euros.
She sustained an ACL injury in May 2021 and returned ahead of the tournament.
"It's probably been a long time coming but, yes, it's been emotional," Hutton said of her decision to retire.
"It's great to do it in front of my family, friends and everyone who has supported me all along.
"From youth level, Ian Stewart and Alfie Wylie, and obviously Kenny and Dean [Shiels] who have given me my last cap. It's been an absolute honour. Friends and family have supported me the whole way along my career."
Hutton came on as substitute five minutes before the end of the England defeat for what was her first appearance of Euro 2022.
"Obviously I've been waiting three games but to get any minutes for Northern Ireland has been an absolute honour," continued Hutton, who said she might look to get into coaching in the future.
"It's just great to be here. It's been a long slog of a year coming back from an ACL injury.
"Obviously we'd never qualified before so being at the Euro finals and playing the likes of Norway, Austria and England - you can't get any better than that and you just have to embrace it."
Euro 2022: England reach quarter finals after beating Northern Ireland 5-0
Hutton made her debut in February 2005, just one year after the senior women's national team reformed after being disbanded at the turn of the century.
She played an integral role in Northern Ireland's historic success in reaching Euro 2022. Her last-gasp equaliser away to Wales was the goal which ultimately secured a play-off spot as it put Kenny Shiels' side ahead of the Welsh on head-to-head.
Hutton, who plays for Linfield in the Women's Premiership, started both play-off matches against Ukraine in 2021 which secured qualification for the finals, however her participation was thrown into doubt when she sustained an ACL injury that May.
She returned to action at the start of the Women's Premiership season in April and made her comeback appearance in a pre-Euros warm-up in Belgium.
Her substitute appearance in the final group game was her first minutes at the tournament, and it was fitting that she replaced Julie Nelson, who was her long-serving defensive partner for the majority of her Northern Ireland career.
