England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has admitted that he turned down the chance to be part of the British and Irish Lions squad because his "priority lies with Toulon".
Lions boss Warren Gatland revealed on Tuesday that he wanted the 33-year-old to form part of his 37-man squad, but Wilkinson made himself unavailable for selection.
"It was a hugely proud moment for me to be called by Warren Gatland, to be told that they were thinking of me in this way," Wilkinson told The Times.
"I was phenomenally proud to be considered for the Lions, so it's very disappointing that I'm unavailable.
"If Toulon manage to get through to the final of the Top 14, my absolute priority lies with them and helping to get the best out of a team that has been so good to me for so long. It is, after all, these guys who have got me to the stage where I could even be considered for the Lions."
The tour gets underway on June 1.
