Mexican midfielder Andrés Guardado, who represented his country in five World Cups, called on the current national team players to wear the jersey with pride, not indifference, as he believes has happened at times.

"Being part of the national team is a privilege, but in my last call-ups, some players seemed more concerned about how many days were left to finish, losing the value of what it means to be here," Guardado said at a press conference ahead of his farewell match with the national team on Tuesday.

Considered one of Mexico's most talented footballers, Guardado, who began his career with Atlas in Mexico, moved to Europe in 2017. He played for Deportivo La Coruña, Valencia, and Real Betis in Spain, Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, and PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands.

"I'm grateful to be here. They told me I could just come and experience the tribute, but Javier Aguirre opened the door for me as if I were any other squad member. I wanted to feel like part of the team one last time. For me, being called up means a lot," he admitted.

Reflecting on his time with the national team, Guardado said it's hard to choose one generation of players, but his most emotional moments came during the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.

"In 2014, after a tough qualifying campaign, coach Miguel Herrera built a team that felt like family, and I enjoyed that. In 2018, it was my first World Cup as captain, and our opening win against then-champions Germany was unforgettable," he said.

Future Coach?

In response to an offer from coach Javier Aguirre, who suggested Guardado could join his coaching staff in the future, the veteran player expressed his gratitude but emphasized the need to prepare first, given the responsibility involved.

"I need to prepare myself, but I'd love to work with the national team in the future," he concluded.

On Tuesday, Guardado will be one of the starters for Mexico in a friendly match against the United States in Guadalajara. Aguirre also revealed that defenders Johan Vásquez and César Montes will be part of the starting lineup.

Although it's just a friendly, expectations are high for the match, especially after Mexico's recent 2-2 draw against Valencia's reserves. The team now faces its fiercest rival in Concacaf.