LONDON (AFP) - Former England rugby captain Martin Johnson will not be tempted out of international retirement for the British and Irish Lions Tour next year, Leicester teammate Geordan Murphy revealed.
World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward will lead the trip to New Zealand and there had been speculation that he would try and persuade his former England captain to join him.
But Ireland fullback Murphy said that Johnson had ruled out competing.
"I've spoken to Martin about it and he's said definitely he wouldn't do it, he wouldn't play for the Lions even if selected," he told The Mail on Sunday.
"He said he wasn't putting himself out this year, he wasn't playing international rugby, so he wasn't playing for the Lions."
Murphy believes that former-England forward Neil Back will also resist the call back to the international arena.
"I wouldn't be too sure about Neil, either," said Back's fellow Tigers star Murphy. "I think they're just going to wind down in their last season."