Manchester City striker Nicolas Anelka says he will never play for France again.

The 23-year-old was handed a symbolic two-game ban by the French federation for snubbing a call-up to the squad for a friendly against Yugoslavia in November as a late replacement for the injured Sidney Govou.

"For me the French team belongs in the past," Anelka told several British newspapers on Saturday. "I missed out on the World Cup twice and it did not kill me."

Anelka, who won the last of his 28 caps for France in April, said his decision was made long before the Yugoslavia friendly.

"Nothing was decided in a rush. My decision had been well thought through," he told the Daily Mirror.

"It was clear for me that

"I just wanted the fans to understand me and I think they did," said the former Liverpool, Paris St Germain, Real Madrid and Arsenal player.

France manager Jacques Santini, who in December described Anelka's actions as "disrespectful", said last week that his problems with the striker on a human level remained.

"Of course (he can come back) if he settles the human aspect of the situation," Santini told French weekly L'Equipe magazine.

"My hard feelings are based on the human aspect and so far I don't know what were Nico's reasons there."

Anelka, who scored six times for France, has hit 11 goals in 27 premier league games for City this season.