Modern football fans are torn between the commitment of players between country and club. While many deem playing a club endears the players more to the fans, there is no substitute for pulling on the jersey of one’s nation to represent them at the higher stage.
With the International games getting fewer by the year and largely restricted to major tournaments and their qualifying rounds, often good players, even legendary players at the club level have found it hard to find playing time for their national side and in this segment, we bring to you 10 such players, who have not had their luck going with finding a place in the national squad.
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#1 Diego Milito
The Argentine striker was a technically gifted forwarded who could wreck the opposition with his abilities on the ground as well as in the air. An ambidextrous attacker, Milito definitely knew where the back of the goal was and was a constant threat to the opposition with his presence in and around the box. His record of 254 goals and 49 assists in 597 appearances speaks volumes about his abilities as an attacker and would be deemed a decent statistic to propel him to a starting role with his national side.
However, that was not the case to be as he was often overlooked for a starting role. Despite scoring 133 goals in 305 appearances for Genoa, Zaragoza and Internazionale during the period 2003-11, Milito started just 42 games. While he did go on to add to the numbers at Inter, the emergence of other attackers kept Milito out of the Argentina national team.
#2 Gael Clichy
The former Arsenal man has had restricted opportunities to represent France over the last decade or so largely owing to the presence of one particular man, Patrice Evra. While Evra has gone on to win 80 caps for the national side, Clichy has featured on just 20 occasions, with his last appearance coming more than 2 years ago.
The pacy left-back was amongst the best in the business during his time at Arsenal and consistently dished out eye-catching performances. However, none of them managed to impress the French footballing hierarchy and Clichy had to wait until he was 23 to get his first international cap for France.
With playing time hard to come by even for his club Manchester City at the moment, we cannot see how Clichy, 31 will find another opportunity to pull on the French shirt in the future.
#3 Aaron Cresswell
The 26-year-old West Ham left-back is amongst the best plying his trade in the Premier League at the moment. Full of athleticism, creativity and a sound footballing brain, Cresswell is the kind of player who we would like to see in an England shirt. He is technically sound, will add steel to the side’s defence and has shown an ability to be an all round performer.
The Liverpool-born player has already amassed 307 caps for his clubs Tranmere Rovers, Ipswich Town and West Ham and has been a constant figure in the Hammers’ back line ever since making the move to West London.
Despite his exploits with the clubs, he has never represented the three lions and we wonder if it is his association with the often mid table club West Ham that has kept him outside the national side rather than his footballing ability.
#4 Mauro Icardi
While Argentina have no dearth of quality in the attacking department with the likes of Aguero and Higuain ably supporting the likes of Messi and Di Maria, Mauricio Icardi’s prolific record in Italy would be deemed meritorious of affording him more than just the one cap he has managed for the national side so far.
An intelligent player who is not afraid to take the fight to the opposition and definitely knows where the back of the goal is, having scored 69 goals in 144 appearances in Italy with Sampdoria and Inter Milan, there is no doubt that Icardi is amongst the elite strikers in European football.
Perhaps, retrospectively Icardi could regret not accepting the Italian federation’s offer to represent them as Italy have found world-class attackers hard to come by in recent years and he would be all but guaranteed a starting role with the Azzurri, especially given his prolific record.
#5 Ledley King
The former England man could have gone on to represent the three lions on more than just the 21 occasions he did in 9 years had it not been for his wretched luck with injuries.
A rock-solid defender who was not only technically sound but also more than willing to put his body on the line for the cause of his side, King was deemed by many to be amongst the top centre-back in the country despite the likes of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand grabbing the limelight.
He was often picked for the national side, only to be deemed unfit to play in the days leading to a game or tournament and denying England of one of their best defensive resources. King had to ultimately pull down the curtains on his career owing to a chronic knee injury and we are left to wonder how much further could England have gotten in tournaments with him at the centre of the defence.
#6 Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta could be deemed as a victim of being in the wrong team at the wrong time. Arteta had represented Spain’s U-16, U-17, U-18 and U-21 sides and was touted to be a regular for the national side.
However, the emergence of Arteta as a top attacking midfielder coincided with the emergence of Spain as a footballing superpower. While some might deem that a match made in heaven, it was not the case for Arteta as he failed to win a single cap for Spain owing to the presence of Iniesta and Xavi.
The Spaniard spent 12 glorious years in England with Everton and Arsenal and functioned as the fulcrum of these sides on many occasions and has earned himself a place in the hearts of millions of Premier League fans worldwide. Now retired and with Manchester City as a coaching staff, it is cruel how one of the finest Premier League player never pulled on the jersey of his national side.
#7 Paolo Di Canio
It actually amazed us to find out that the ever-controversial figure of Paolo Di Canio did not earn a single cap with the Italian national team. Despite featuring on 9 occasions with the Italian U-21 side and helping them finish third in the 1990 UEFA European U-21 Championship, Di Canio found was constantly ignored by the Italian federation.
A maverick striker who could take the game by the scruff of the neck and turn it around, Di Canio had a decent beginning to life as a footballer in Italy with Lazio, Juventus and Napoli. However, it was in England, where he showcased his true potential to the footballing world with his performances for West Ham and earned himself a place in the club’s legacy.
Many believe it is his off field issues and affiliations rather than his abilities as a footballer that denied him an opportunity to represent Italy and some day, we would like to hear the opinion of the man himself.
#8 Jonathan Woodgate
Ledley King’s partner in crime during the time 2008-11, Jonathan Woodgate is amongst the players who continued to dish out solid performances, yet were often denied a place in the national team. Woodgate, a product of the Middlesbrough academy, was known for his abilities in the air and could keep even the best of the attackers at bay on his day.
However, he made just 8 appearances for the England national team over the course of the 1999-2008 and found it hard to dislodge the likes of Ferdinand and Terry from the starting spot, despite many pundits deeming him a defender, whose no-nonsense attitude could bring muscle to the Three Lions defence.
The subject of an ill-fated big money move to Real Madrid that didn’t last a long time, Woodgate is now retired and is currently associated with Liverpool as a scout. Perhaps, his footballing intelligence might finally come to the fore should he unearth a gem for the Reds.
#9 Mark Noble
The hard tackling midfielder is precisely the kind of midfielder whose services England have lacked in the past as they have often been deemed too nice to be able to win anything by many pundits and fans. A fan favourite at West Ham, Mark Noble has been a constant feature in the West Ham midfield and has etched himself in the memories of the club’s fans with his industrious yet intelligent performances.
A regular with the English youth sides who made 47 appearances across all levels, it can be termed atrocious that Noble has never managed to pull on a senior England football team shirt despite being touted to be in the line for making his debut on numerous occasions.
At 29 years of age, his performances are only getting better and we cannot fathom any reason why he should remain out of the England squad, especially with the side lacking a true leader in its midst and the deficiencies of other midfielders coming to the fore time and again.
#10 Hatem Ben Arfa
How often do we come across footballers who are a bagful of talent and trouble in equal measures? PSG winger Hatem Ben Arfa is one such greatly talented individual whose antics on and off the pitch has curtailed his playing time with club and country as he constantly finds a reason to remain the limelight for the wrong reasons.
The former Newcastle man is electric with the ball at his feet and can split open even the tightest of defences with his threatening runs. However, neither his potential nor his performances have guaranteed him regular playing time with the French national side as he has featured on just 15 occasions since making his debut in 2007.
A player with over 300 senior club appearances for clubs across France and England, Ben Arfa is currently finding life tough at the Parc des Princes stadium due to disciplinary issues and we wonder at 29 years of age, how much longer does the player have ahead of him to establish himself in the legions of French legends.
