The defender says at the age of 34 he owes it to Arsenal to try to minimise injuries by playing less.

But Speaking on the BBC's Match of the Day, fellow former England skipper Lineker said: "He's had a great international career and it will be a big loss for Sven-Goran Eriksson, especially in terms of his experience."

Fellow ex-international Trevor Brooking suggested that David Beckham's expected promotion to permanent England skipper could have also influenced Adams' decision.

Brooking said: "He's been fantastic - great competitor, good leader.

"There's been a lot of speculation about Beckham possibly being the England captain and as to whether Tony Adams would then be overlooked for that, and perhaps he's taken that decision and really taken the initiative himself.

"I think also, he has found it difficult to have consistent games and I think the injury problem is something he has probably taken into account.

"But he's been a great servant to the country."

Former Liverpool and Republic of Ireland defender Mark Lawrenson feels that the move will open the door for fresh talent to flourish and he insisted that Eriksson is not short of immediate replacements.

"I suppose you can look on the positive side for Sven-Goran Eriksson and there's a lot of young blood coming in that position - Brown, Woodgate, Campbell, Ferdinand and Gareth Barry to name but five," said Lawrenson.

"So I think that is a positive thing to take out of it."