Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte hailed Wayne Rooney, saying the Everton forward "plays with his soul".
Rooney, 32, has delivered in his second stint at Everton, scoring 10 goals and providing two assists in 16 Premier League games.
"We must pay great attention because I think Wayne Rooney is a player who, when he plays, plays with his soul. You can see this during the game," he said.
"It's not simple to make this decision. To stop your career with the national team is not easy, not easy. I'm sure his heart is a bit broken by this decision.
"Only the player understands when the moment is arriving to say 'stop' when it comes to playing for the national team. We must have great respect for this decision."
"It's not simple. For sure, you have to [ask] this question to him. I think that he shows great passion," he said.
"Usually when you have this type of passion, you can do this job. In our job, you must have great passion, great patience, great will to suffer."
