Following the dismal performance of the England football team in the World Cup, I read with interest that defender Jamie Carragher has once again announced his retirement from international football. Rumour has it that some of the rest of the team will follow suit. They are not the first. Other England players in the past have done the same, notably Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Wayne Bridge among others.
Well I'm sorry but I don't think it should be like that. IF you are good enough and IF you are lucky enough you MIGHT have the HONOUR of being chosen to play for your country. Isn't that how it's supposed to be?
Players might well declare themselves unfit for selection and conceivably they might have deep personal reasons which prevent them from playing for their country but stating that they don't want to be chosen because they want to concentrate on their club football just doesn't hack it.
Time was when players felt a sense of great pride to play for England and it really mattered to them if things didn't go well. Who will ever forget Gazza's tears in Italy 1990? We remember too, the huge effort and professionalism shown by our 1966 team when we won the ultimate trophy.
Sir Tom Finney, a football legend of the 1950's, once spoke of his immense pride in playing for England in the World cup "When you think about all the great players never to have played in one, George Best for example, I'm very humbled by the fact that I've taken part in three".
Anyway, if this is the way things are, I hereby announce that I will be unavailable for England selection for the next world cup. Sorry about that but I have a hair appointment.
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