Players who never quite made it

[roverandout]

With the world cup coming up i was just thinking of all the players who never quite made it with england (or any national team)..those that never fullfilled their potential

Stan collymoore had imense talent..great physique..pace, technical ability..he won 2 caps

Matt le tissier..what a waste, hoddle was too pigheaded to take him and gazza..never see an english player with his ability again..2 caps

Robbie fowler won alot more caps but criminally underused..born finisher

Matt jansen..total waste of a genuine talent..he should have gone to the world cup.

Andy cole..another who should have been a regular

Ravel morrison..what a criminal waste of ability

Are there any more?

 

Edited June 7, 2018 by roverandout

[Bigdoggsteel]

Stephen Ireland and Aidan McGeady for Ireland. Both, but Ireland in particular, massively underachieved. He was one of the best performing players in the premiership when he came on the scene first for city. Absolute waste of a career really since. You look at guys like him and think "is he actually 30 already?". His international career was literally over in the blink of an eye. The whole made up dead granny story was bizzare. He looked to be the biggest talent since Giles or Brady, maybe even surpassing Roy Keane, but ya, it seems he couldn't handle being a professional footballer. Amazing that he was in the premiership for so long,considering how little he has done. 

McGeady, well, just shouldn't have followed the money and went to Russia that time. A few top 6 premiership teams were in for him as well. On his day, arguably as good as if not better than Duff. The problem is Duff was Duff very consistently, McGeady is the best version of himself once a blue moon. 

Both really only have themselves to blame. In the case of most of the English guys in the opening post , you would really have to blame the English manager at the time. Apart from Raval Morrison, he would go in the category of the two Irish lads above, but had an even weirder career. 

 

Edited June 8, 2018 by Bigdoggsteel

[scotchrover]

David Dunn- didn’t Sven take Danny Murphy  and someone else instead? 

[K-Hod]

I agree with comments about Cole, Fowler and would also add Ian Wright to that list.

But then, I think of how well Shearer and Sheringham worked together at that time....

[oldjamfan1]

Jimmy Case. Never capped at full international level and won maybe one under 23 cap? 

Part of the best club side midfield I have ever seen play live (Liverpool, late 70s-early 80s).

The other two English members of that midfield quartet, the classy Ray Kennedy and prolific Terry McDermott, only won about 20 caps each.

Amazing really, given how good they all were.

Edited June 8, 2018 by oldjamfan1

[Mattyblue]

Steve Bruce - 0 caps.

Howard Kendall - 0 caps. Colin Harvey - 1 cap. Two out of Everton’s ‘Holy Trinity’.

Amazing really when you think of some of the players that have played for England this past 15 years.

[MarkBRFC]

I still find it incredible that Steve Bruce never got a cap.

Nowadays you only have to have 10/15 good first team games and you are likely to receive a call up.

[Hasta]

2 hours ago, K-Hod said:

I agree with comments about Cole, Fowler and would also add Ian Wright to that list.

But then, I think of how well Shearer and Sheringham worked together at that time....

Add in Ferdinand and Collymore and we had some strikers available in the 90s.

[blueboy3333]

4 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

On his day, arguably as good as if not better than Duff.

No chance. McGeady looked good in a shit league, failed abroad and then ended up at North End. If Duff had massively underachieved he's styill have played all his career in the Prem. McGeady isn't fit to lace Duff's boots.

And Stephen Ireland was a poor man's Simon Ireland.

Edited June 8, 2018 by blueboy3333

[tomphil]

19 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

No chance. McGeady looked good in a shit league, failed abroad and then ended up at North End. If Duff had massively underachieved he's styill have played all his career in the Prem. McGeady isn't fit to lace Duff's boots.

And Stephen Ireland was a poor man's Simon Ireland.

On his day Damien Duff was almost unplayable and on his average days he was still very good.

A comparison by someone who didn't see the Duffster week in week out in his pomp methinks.

Still a little shite for his blatant disrespect towards Rovers fans when playing for Fulham though ?

[blueboy3333]

Just now, tomphil said:

Still a little shite for his blatant disrespect towards Rovers fans when playing for Fulham though ?

I've expunged this from my Duff-loving brain (3rd only to Sellars & Noel as my favourite ever Rover). What did Duff do?

[Bigdoggsteel]

19 minutes ago, blueboy3333 said:

No chance. McGeady looked good in a shit league, failed abroad and then ended up at North End. If Duff had massively underachieved he's styill have played all his career in the Prem. McGeady isn't fit to lace Duff's boots.

And Stephen Ireland was a poor man's Simon Ireland.

On his day McGeady was a serious talent, I can remember one of those games, but apparently there are others... He ended up at Everton before North end and , in fairness, was pretty excellent in the championship for about 2 months. Duff played a minimum 8 out of 10 in pretty much most of his games, he was that rare mix of raw talent ,consistency and hard work. In Sounesses autobiography, where he speaks very, very highly of rovers, he said that he tried to get Duff to work less hard defensively as he was running himself into the ground trying to do everything. Imagine having a winger like that now.   Ya, you're right actually, I shouldn't have said that, McGeady isn't fit to be mentioned in the same breath as the Duffer. 

Ah, Ireland was deadly when he came on the scene first. I would imagine you didn't watch much of him then. 

[blueboy3333]

Just now, Bigdoggsteel said:

On his day McGeady was a serious talent, I can remember one of those games, but apparently there are others... He ended up at Everton before North end and , in fairness, was pretty excellent in the championship for about 2 months. Duff played a minimum 8 out of 10 in pretty much most of his games, he was that rare mix of raw talent ,consistency and hard work. In Sounesses autobiography, where he speaks very, very highly of rovers, he said that he tried to get Duff to work less hard defensively as he was running himself into the ground trying to do everything. Imagine having a winger like that now.   Ya, you're right actually, I shouldn't have said that, McGeady isn't fit to be mentioned in the same breath as the Duffer. 

Ah, Ireland was deadly when he came on the scene first. I would imagine you didn't watch much of him then. 

The Ireland thing was a joke. He was good until that thing appeared on his head. Simon Ireland was still better though.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, blueboy3333 said:

The Ireland thing was a joke. He was good until that thing appeared on his head. Simon Ireland was still better though.

I don't know who Simon Ireland is, is he Stephens father? 

Appeared on his head or in his head? 

[MarkBRFC]

Don't know who Simon Ireland is? He was the lynchpin of our midfield in 1993.

That league appearance he made was superb.

[lraC]

Its a long time ago and he is ex Burnley, but a personal friend of mine, albeit a fair bit older than me and in bad health these days. Brian Pilkington has one England cap to his name and by all accounts was an absolute Wizard on the left wing. I didn't see Brian play, but he won the league title with Burnley in 1960 and I have been with him many times, when people have said he is the best player they ever saw. The best example I can give of that, is one night at a Sportsman's dinner with him Frank Worthington was the quest speaker. He was almost kissing Brian's feet, saying how he walked miles to watch him play. On the strength of being a mate of Brian's, Worthington gave me a lift from the function at Chorley to my home at the time, in Bolton and insisted on dropping me right at my front door.

[Bigdoggsteel]

I read an interesting book a few years ago while on holiday called "The greatest footballer you never saw" about a player called Gavin Friday. It was a great book and written in a  really interesting way through interviews and old newspaper reports. Do any of you remember him? Sounded a real talent , but had many off field issues throughout his short career 

[Commondore]

He probably wouldn't have become an England international, but I certainly had higher hopes for David Thompson than what his career turned out to be. Ravaged by injuries, and could then never realign his playing style when his place and tenacity went down a bit.

[Commondore]

...and in the same category, Shaun Wright-Phillips was a joke at Chelsea and QPR after his pace went as a result of injuries. Looked lethal when he emerged at Man City.

[Crimpshrine]

8 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I read an interesting book a few years ago while on holiday called "The greatest footballer you never saw" about a player called Gavin Friday. It was a great book and written in a  really interesting way through interviews and old newspaper reports. Do any of you remember him? Sounded a real talent , but had many off field issues throughout his short career 

I remember Gavin Friday the singer from the Virgin Prunes. A fellow countryman of yours.

Turning the thread on it's head, how did Emile Heskey get 62 England caps?

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, Crimpshrine said:

I remember Gavin Friday the singer from the Virgin Prunes. A fellow countryman of yours.

Turning the thread on it's head, how did Emile Heskey get 62 England caps?

I think he is more famous for being mates with Bono! Interesting character all the same  

[Oldgregg86]

5 hours ago, K-Hod said:

I agree with comments about Cole, Fowler and would also add Ian Wright to that list.

But then, I think of how well Shearer and Sheringham worked together at that time....

Probably throw Les Ferdinand in the mix aswell

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

30 minutes ago, Crimpshrine said:

I remember Gavin Friday the singer from the Virgin Prunes. A fellow countryman of yours.

Turning the thread on it's head, how did Emile Heskey get 62 England caps?

Robin Friday. I saw him play. He was a bit like Dack only thinner and a bit quicker.

[Oldgregg86]

Off the top of my head I remember watching Micah Richards and thought he was going to a top top defender and an England main stay. On his day in the early stages he looked a real talent

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Franz Carr looked like becoming a world beating winger in his early days, he just never got any better as he got older.