Brooking blasts England quitters
FORMER England star Sir Trevor Brooking has slammed the growing number of players who turn their backs on international duty, following suggestions Tottenham striker Peter Crouch has become the latest to opt out.
Crouch is said to have decided not to play for England again while Fabio Capello is manager, which is likely to be for another 12 months, after he did not even make it onto the substitutes’ bench against Switzerland on Saturday.
It comes after Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster announced he was taking a temporary break from the international arena, while Blackburn stopper Paul Robinson and Manchester United defender Wes Brown both retired from England service last summer.
And it follows the row over whether senior squad regulars, such as Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere and Andy Carroll of Liverpool, should have been part of England’s squad for this summer’s Under-21 European Championships.
“No matter what people think about individuals, it is about playing for your country. You turn up regardless. I would have turned up if I was No23 in the squad,” said Brooking, now the Football Association’s director of football development.
“We had one or two issues with age group teams. There appears to be a reluctance with one or two youngsters to get that tournament experience. I come from a generation where I couldn’t even contemplate such a thing. I find it amazing.
“There are great rewards out there. You can become a multi-millionaire as a club player without playing international football. But international football is about individual pride and performing at the highest level.
“If I got picked at 41, I would have played, even if I thought I would make a fool of myself. I just wanted to play for my country.”
Crouch, 30, has an enviable goalscoring record for England but has failed to nail down a regular starting place during Capello’s three and a half years at the helm.
The former Liverpool, Portsmouth and Aston Villa striker has scored 22 international goals in 42 appearances – a better goals-to-game ration than England’s all-time leading scorer, Sir Bobby Charlton.
However, he has started only five times in Capello’s 37 matches in charge and was overlooked for the matchday squad for Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Wembley, despite a striker shortage.
Crouch is known for his easy-going temperament, making the possibility of his withdrawal from England availability a surprise and another question mark against the popularity of Capello’s management style.