6 greatest players who never received an international cap

#3 Paolo Di Canio (Italy)

Paolo Di Canio was a highly controversial player

One of the most controversial yet talented players in the history of the Premier League, Di Canio was as capable of delivering a flash of brilliance in one minute, and a moment of madness in the very next.

He provided a highlight reel of eccentric performances throughout his seven year stay in England, garnering headlines for peculiar acts including when he received an eleven match ban for pushing a referee down in 1998, as well as picking up the ball and stopping play while his team was in an extremely good goalscoring position because an opponent was on the ground. He was also ill perceived due to his professed allegiance to Fascism.

Di Canio played as a forward (either deep-lying or on the wings), and began the early part of his career journeying around Italy without much success, but became a household name when he arrived the Premier League first with Sheffield Wednesday and then with West Ham, winning the prestigious Hammer of the Year in 2000.

However, despite his notable performances in England, Di Canio never received a call up to the Azurri of Italy for a number of reasons, chief of which was his eccentric behavior, as well as the fact that he was unfortunate to be competiting against players like Francesco Totti, Christian Vieri, Fillippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Del Piero among others who are considered to be among the greatest strikers in history.

Coupled with the fact that he did not perform too well in Serie A at a time when most of the national team players were selected from the league (a practice that still holds till this day).

Di Canio retired from football in 2008, and tried his hands at management, achieving success at his first job where he guided Swindon Town to League One, but went downhill since then, as his career in the dugout has been plagued with the same issues that characterized his playing career from clashing with star players to altercations with fans.