Unwilling internationals

[jwdd27]

Unwilling internationals

Chris Sutton springs to mind, got 11 minutes as a sub in 1997, then refused to play for Hoddle in a B international and wasn't (or didn't want to be) considered again.
Worth remembering that he was one of the best strikers in The country at the time, it was well before Chelsea ruined him.

If things had played out differently, he might have taken Mickey Owen's place at France 98 (or more likely squeezed Les Ferdinand out, but the former is more interesting to think about).

[Sundeporino]

Unwilling internationals

Gordon West went on Englands 1969 South American tour (heat/altitude preperation) prior to Mexico70 and never got on the pitch at all.
He was the only tourist who didnt iirc and on returning to Heathrow told Ramsey to stick it.

Just 45 mins or so may of been enough to keep Bonetti off the pitch a year later.....

[longeared]

Unwilling internationals

Sutton got called up a couple of times by Keegan in 1999, trained with the squad and everything but didn't play a game.

[Gangster Octopus]

Unwilling internationals

Rogin le fan du fauteuil wrote: Ryan Giggs

Took you over five hours to repeat that...

[Mr Shadrak]

Unwilling internationals

Sundeporino - Gordon West played against Mexico in 1969. He later declined to be considered for the World Cup as he didn't want to be away from his family for that long.

[Sundeporino]

Unwilling internationals

Mr Shadrak wrote: Sundeporino - Gordon West played against Mexico in 1969. He later declined to be considered for the World Cup as he didn't want to be away from his family for that long.

Did he? Oh right. An Everton fan told me the tale years ago and I just took it as gospel.

[1974ddr]

Unwilling internationals

Paul Madeley was called up for the 1970 World Cup as a replacement for an injured player- Reaney or McNab, I think- and turned the offer down, presumably because he didn't expect to get a game. He hadn't been capped at that point, but went on to play a fair number of internationals during the seventies.

[Guy Profumo]

Unwilling internationals

Off on a tangent, Peter Willey made it abundantly clear he'd rather spend [strike]most of[/strike] his time fishing in the rivers of Northamptonshire than spend it globe-trotting as an international cricket umpire.

[Satchmo Distel]

Unwilling internationals

Imran Khan was forced out of retirement by Presidential arm-twisting in 1988

Pat Jennings seemed to be less than keen to play in Mexico 86

[Flynnie]

Unwilling internationals

Wasn't Jennings playing reserve team football at Tottenham to keep fit for 1986?

Or do you mean in a "I'd really like to retire but I'm going to hang on until the World Cup" type of way.

[Satchmo Distel]

Unwilling internationals

I saw a tabloid story after Mexico in which Jennings said he'd never enjoyed playing. Whether he still feels that way, I dunno.