Really?!
Players who should have had more caps for their countries
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Michael Carrick
Back then Italy were blessed with Zola, Baggio and Del Piero as well as Inzaghi, Veiri, Chiesa. Still shocked he was never selected though.
A skillfull player, a career full of controversy, but the fact Paolo Di Canio never represented his country is pretty amazing.
Distin should’ve been capped by France considering some of the junk they picked at centre back during the mid to late ‘00s. They have better options now but Laporte should obviously be making the squad at least.
Effenberg should’ve won 100 caps but the USA ‘94 incident cut his international career short.
Effenberg should’ve won 100 caps but the USA ‘94 incident cut his international career short.
He had personal issues with Passarella and then suffered that awful injury at his peak.
I didn't know that. I just assumed it would be more than that.
Ander Herrera.
Just 2 caps, i think he should get more.
Just 2 caps, i think he should get more.
That's crazy. Was an amazing player.
It was Gareth fecking Barry that kept him out the club most of the time tbh.
Anyway, Carrick, ledley king (but thats fair enough}, Cantona come to mind.
On the flipside, Joe Hart has too many for England.
On the flipside, Joe Hart has too many for England.
Guðni Bergsson. He became Iceland's most capped player with 77 games but then the FA/coach got mad at him for something so he basically never got a call up until 2003 when he was about to retire. That's 6 years of NT football that our then current best player an captain lost. Guðni has never gotten a reason why he was omitted.
Joe Hart has caps because there wasn’t another keeper worth playing
He never played poorly. The problem was England supporters had no idea what they were talking about. They were too busy trying to figure out how to get Lampard and Gerrard in the same team, and once Carrick played and didn't score goals like Lampard and Gerrard or make big tackles like Scott Parker or Owen Hargreaves, they started talking about how shite he was. In fact, I'd say that England's worst enemy over the years has been themself. Chelsea fans hated Gerrard. Liverpool fans hated Lampard. And everyone other than United supporters hated the United players. Supporters have always had a hard time separating club from country. That's part of why this new England team is doing so well. With this new England team the supporters have been supporting the squad, not just the players from their club team...
100%. Rectifying those wrongs now though.
All the Carrick/Redondo mentions immediately bring Agostino Di Bartolomei to mind — who was in a similar-ish mold with respect to playmaking skill and shielding the defense quite expertly from midfield at the peak of his powers — even operating in defense later on. One of Roma's greatest Bandiera players with Totti, Giannini, De Rossi and Conti, captain of the club for several years (including the 1984 European Cup season when they reached the final) — yet never made a full appearance for Italy.
Speaking of, his midfield partner Falcão should have also registered more than just ~30 appearances for Brazil. The 1978 World Cup snub from manager Cláudio Coutinho was especially surprising because he was one of the architects for Internacional's Brasileirão titles in 1975 and 1976 — and was considered among the best players in South America towards the mid to late '70s (and beyond, when he received more global recognition following his exploits with Zico and Sócrates under Telê Santana).
Speaking of, his midfield partner Falcão should have also registered more than just ~30 appearances for Brazil. The 1978 World Cup snub from manager Cláudio Coutinho was especially surprising because he was one of the architects for Internacional's Brasileirão titles in 1975 and 1976 — and was considered among the best players in South America towards the mid to late '70s (and beyond, when he received more global recognition following his exploits with Zico and Sócrates under Telê Santana).
Not really crazy.
He was talented but offered essentially nothing off the ball and lacked fitness. England’s key player at the time was still considered to be Gascoigne and Sheringham’s partnership with Shearer meant that there would be no role for Le Tissier in either a free role or a second striker position.
Roy Keane. Should have at least 4 more from the 2002 World Cup 
I'll add Howard Kendall to the list, who played for Preston North End in the 60's and I think was the youngest player to play in an FA-cup final. He went on to captain Everton in the 70's forming a midfield with Alan Ball and Colin Harvey. Never played for England. Not even once. Unbelievable!
Going back a bit further here.
Up until 1971, the Danish FA (DBU) didn't allow professional players to represent the national team. This means that two of the best and most iconic Danish players ever, John Hansen (124 goals in 187 for Juventus) and Harald Nielsen (85 goals in 179 games for Bologna, Inter, Lazio and Sampdoria), only got capped 8 and 14 times respectively.
Up until 1971, the Danish FA (DBU) didn't allow professional players to represent the national team. This means that two of the best and most iconic Danish players ever, John Hansen (124 goals in 187 for Juventus) and Harald Nielsen (85 goals in 179 games for Bologna, Inter, Lazio and Sampdoria), only got capped 8 and 14 times respectively.
Stefan Effenberg
Giggs would have something like 150 caps for Wales if not for Sir Alex protecting him.
Can't believe no one mention Mike Smalling yet.
Immense player.
Immense player.
Looking at the competition it's certainly not surprising. However on current form he deserves to be given a chance. Maybe in a friendly coming off the bench.
I was shocked when I looked up Benzema and saw he’s won over 80 caps for France. It seemed like his international career was a lot shorter than that.
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It's strange that Utd were the one of the best teams in Europe in the late 90s, which the team was dominated by English players. Yet the England manager never used that advantage for the national team.
At this stage of his career Virgil van Dijk should've had more as well honestly. Ever since Ajax Choose Mike van der Hoorn (who?) over him some years ago and he went to Celtic, he was ignored by a few coaches who favored guys like Karim Rekik, Martins Indi and Jeffrey Bruma. Now admittedly, in 2014, Stefan de Vrij and Ron Vlaar did a fantastic job with De Vrij even winning player of the tournament, but ever since Van Dijk was given his spot in our team, we've stepped up dramatically, even topping our nation's league group with Germany and France.
Another sort of weird shout is Arjen Robben, who would've been our most capped international if it weren't for his eternal struggle with his glass body. It's quite amazing that, even though he has been perpetually plagued by injured, he still managed to amass 96 caps. Without injuries he'd probably have nearly twice as much. On the other hand, through some amazing luck, he didn't miss a single international tournament.
Then someone from the distant past. Quite a few people claim we would've won the 1974 world cup if we had Jan van Beveren on goal. However, Van Beveren fell out with Johan Cruijff and Johan and his clique made Van Beveren a pariah who was never selected for the national team after. I personally don't buy in to " we would have won the cup " story, because it was either Cruijff or Van Beveren at that stage and I suspect the former would have a far greater impact. Some backstory on this one: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/feature...bbornness-dutch-history-repeats-south-america
Another sort of weird shout is Arjen Robben, who would've been our most capped international if it weren't for his eternal struggle with his glass body. It's quite amazing that, even though he has been perpetually plagued by injured, he still managed to amass 96 caps. Without injuries he'd probably have nearly twice as much. On the other hand, through some amazing luck, he didn't miss a single international tournament.
Then someone from the distant past. Quite a few people claim we would've won the 1974 world cup if we had Jan van Beveren on goal. However, Van Beveren fell out with Johan Cruijff and Johan and his clique made Van Beveren a pariah who was never selected for the national team after. I personally don't buy in to " we would have won the cup " story, because it was either Cruijff or Van Beveren at that stage and I suspect the former would have a far greater impact. Some backstory on this one: https://www.fourfourtwo.com/feature...bbornness-dutch-history-repeats-south-america
Fergie picking McLeish and Miller ahead of him didn't help.
Dybala
Icardi
Daniel Wass
Icardi
Daniel Wass
Yep, would throw in Mario Jardel also (has 10).
Mid 90s was ridiculous for amount of English strikers around and actually playing and scoring.
Shearer and Sheringham established themselves through how good they were at euro 96, you then had Michael Owen emerge a year later in time for 98 World cup.
On top of that Les Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Andy Cole and Ian Wright all 15-20 scorers at the top clubs in the league. Below Dion Dublin had some good seasons for Coventry and us at the same time and he got the odd England cup.
On even top of that you had talented number 10s like Le Tiss and Merson who in other eras would have way more caps than they did then. Paul Merson was still ripping it up in his early 30s in the premier league.
So all those options before you even get to Stan who was better the year he was at Forest tbh.
Michael Ricketts for sure
Gianfranco Zola 35 caps for Italy. Can't understand a player of his quality didn't have many more than that.
Viduka only won 43 caps for Australia.
Kewell just over 50 caps between 96-2012.
Mark Bosnich played just 17 times for them.
Tim Cahill played 108 times.
In fairness Australia used to play a lot on club football weekends and you add travelling and lack of games when they used to try to qualify for World cup through Oceania.
Kewell just over 50 caps between 96-2012.
Mark Bosnich played just 17 times for them.
Tim Cahill played 108 times.
In fairness Australia used to play a lot on club football weekends and you add travelling and lack of games when they used to try to qualify for World cup through Oceania.
Was going to say Brucey too
Considering he played his prime years for one of the top clubs in England, to never even get 1 cap is crazy
Pallister only got 22 caps over 8 year period although guess he was injured for decent chunks of that.
Think keepers here are the obvious example.
Jan Oblak made his debut for Slovenia in 2012 and has only 18 caps. He's one of best keepers in world but had to be deputy to Samir Handanovic up to 2016 and now apparently he's fallen out with national team coach.
Le Tissier is the big one for me. Truly shit that he kept being overlooked just because he stayed at Saints.
He did play a few games for England in the 98 qualifiers....he started the game at home to Italy who won 1-0 with a Zola goal.
From watching the highlights he played fine and nearly scored but seems the narrative from the press afterwards was the "gamble" had failed and we all know what happens when a fringe England player isn't decided to be good enough anymore by the media.
Hoddle rarely picked him afterwards even after he scored a hat trick in a B game just before 98 world cup (same match Chris Sutton refused to play him).
TBH I'm more surprised he didn't make Euro 96 squad. Did Venables not fancy him much as you'd have thought he'd have been the sort of manager that could've fitted Le Tiss into an England 11.
Edit: I wouldn't say he was ignored just because he stayed at Southampton. England squads in the 90s weren't as top club focused as they have been in last 10 years. More of a problem trying to get him in when Gazza was at his pomp (although neither went to 98 world cup of course).
Johan Micoud was a fantastic player. Because he was so similar to Zidane, he only earned 17 caps.
I truly believe if he’d moved to a big club, he’d have been a regular England starter. English National football was so fecking backwards back then.
Have to say Sylvain Distin was an excellent defender for many years in premier league for Man. City, Portsmouth and Everton.
O.k not quite top level but still 6th-8th and a few spells in europe.
How on earth did he not win a single French cap? Was he not rated that much because of his early years at PSG? Or because he didn't have the right star sign for the Domenech years?
For 2006 France had Boumsong in their squad ffs. They also called Chimbonda who was still at Wigan.
For the bigger nations that strikes me as an odd overlook.
O.k not quite top level but still 6th-8th and a few spells in europe.
How on earth did he not win a single French cap? Was he not rated that much because of his early years at PSG? Or because he didn't have the right star sign for the Domenech years?
For 2006 France had Boumsong in their squad ffs. They also called Chimbonda who was still at Wigan.
For the bigger nations that strikes me as an odd overlook.