The Best Footballers To Never Receive an International Call Up
Almost every footballer dreams of being called up by their national team to represent their home country. It is an honour for any player to be able to represent their national team in a major tournament, and it is often regarded as one of the highest achievements a player can accomplish in their career.
Post football careers, some players may opt to go into punditry, partner with various projects such as clothing, or take the highest honour of managing their country’s first team. In some cases, top players never received the prestige of wearing their country’s colours, so let’s take a look at some players who never managed to receive an international call-up.
BoyleSports, a leading casino online in the UK, has compiled a fascinating list revealing some of the most talented footballers who, despite their exceptional club careers, never managed to receive an international call-up.
Manuel Almunia
The Spanish goalkeeper was an iconic figure in the Premier League, representing Arsenal for over 7 years with a short loan spell at West Ham United in 2011. The Spanish stopper was a massive figure in between the sticks during his time in North London, winning an FA Cup and Community Shield with the Gunners.
Despite his lack of trophies, he made over 170 appearances for the club in both the Premier League and the Champions League. He may be remembered by some for his iconic double save in the Championship Play-off semi-final against Leicester, in which he made a penalty save and followed up with an incredible double save, allowing Troy Deeney to score at the other end in the 97th minute, sending Watford to Wembley.
Despite being a solid goalkeeper choice, he never managed to receive a call-up for Spain. This was mainly the result of Spain’s dominance in that position, featuring Iker Casillas, Pepe Reina and Victor Valdes, meaning Almunia never really got the chance to show what he could bring to the side.
Steve Bruce
Nowadays, Steve Bruce is known for being a relatively underwhelming football manager, unable to demonstrate his quality in the Premier League, opting instead to take charge of teams in the lower half of the top flight or even in the EFL. But as a player, Steve Bruce was a giant at the back, a dominant force for Manchester United that was a massive part of bringing them some of the success they saw in the 80s and 90s.
After spending extended periods of time at Gillingham and Norwich, he moved to Manchester United in 1987, where he stayed for 9 years, making over 400 appearances. Despite winning 3 Premier Leagues and 3 FA Cups, Bruce never received an England call-up.
The centre half was a massive figure for the Red Devils, so it was a big shock that he was never to make an appearance for the 3 Lions. The main reason for this wasn’t a result of his lack of ability; it was due to other players being preferred, such as Des Walker, Mark Wright, Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Terry Butcher.
Gabi
Gabi is regarded as an Atletico Madrid legend, representing them from his youth career until 2007, and then returning in 2011, spending a further 7 more years. The Spanish midfielder was an incredible player for the Madrid side, helping take them to 2 Europa League titles, a LaLiga title and even a Copa Del Rey.
His legacy and reputation during his time will never be forgotten by the fans or even LaLiga viewers with his incredible ability on the ball and second-to-none vision. But, despite making over 400 appearances in Spain’s top flight, he was never given an opportunity to represent his country at the international level.
Unfortunately for Gabi, the level of quality in Spain’s midfielders during his prime playing years meant he never earned a cap, having to compete with the likes of Xavi, Busquets, Iniesta, Piqué, Alonso, Thiago, Fabregas, and many more. It is massively up for debate whether Gabi could have provided more for the side than other players chosen ahead of him, but sadly, we will never find out, as he concluded his playing career in 2020.
Paolo Di Canio
Sometimes known for the wrong reasons, it is undeniable that Paolo Di Canio was a great footballer; during his 23-year-long career, he represented 10 different clubs. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his managerial career, which has only seen him take on the role as head of the dugout for 2 years at 2 different clubs.
As a manager, Di Canio took charge of Swindon Town and eventually Premier League survivors Sunderland AFC, where he was let go after 13 games in charge, bringing an end to any future he had in football management. As a player, Di Canio will be best remembered for his time at West Ham United and Lazio.
But despite making over 500 career appearances, his opportunity to represent Italy never came as a result of too many players being ahead of him. Di Canio had to compete with the likes of Del Piero, Zola and Baggio, resulting in him never getting the chance to show his talent at a major international tournament.
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