Top 7 footballers who missed out in the International Arena

Peter Leslie Osgood (England)

The “King of Stamford Bridge” and “The Wizard of Os” finds his name here in the second spot. This Chelsea man displayed his amazing talent in the blue jersey from his very early teenage days, and, as a result, was included in the 40 man probables for England’s 1966 World Cup squad. However, he missed out on the final list of players. In total, Osgood made a record 380 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 150 goals. His vision and physical presence in the football pitch made him one of the ‘hottest property’ of that era.

Despite his talent and goal scoring ability, his international career was rather limited with only 4 appearances. Alf Ramsey, the then England manager, was reported to be very disapproving of his ‘playboy attitude’. Nevertheless, he was respected throughout the football fraternity and is considered one of the lost prodigies of International football. The last stanza of a heart-touching poem written by a Chelsea fan Daniel Clarke after Osgood’s death reads thus -

“He lit the path and led the way,

Set the bar for the stars of today.

Gone he may be, but forgotten never,

For the story of The King will live forever.”