Sir Trevor Brooking blasts walkout England stars

06 June 2011 07:39
ShareSir Trevor Brooking has hit out at the growing number of players who have decided not to make themselves available for England with  Peter Crouch set to become the next star to walk out on his country.[LNB]The Tottenham striker is the latest international to have decided he will not play for his country again until Fabio Capello is replaced as manager after growing increasingly disillusioned with life under the Italian.[LNB]Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson and Manchester United defender Wes Brown retired at the start of this season, while Birmingham keeper Ben Foster is currently on a 'sabbatical' to concentrate on his club career.[LNB] End of the road: Fed-up Spurs star Peter Crouch is set to quit international football[LNB]There have been even younger players who have turned their back on the Three Lions, most notably Spurs winger David Bentley, who rejected the chance to play in the 2007 European Under-21 Championships.[LNB]As the Football Association's director of football development, Brooking would be expected to talk up the notion of playing for England.[LNB]However, it is in his status as a former international who won 47 England caps that he reacted on BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme.[LNB]'No matter what people think about individuals, it is about playing for your country,' he said.[LNB]'You turn up regardless. I would have turned up if I was number 23 in the squad.[LNB] Left out: Despite England's striker shortage Crouch was overlooked by manager Capello[LNB]'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.[LNB]'I come from a generation where I couldn't even contemplate such a thing. I find it amazing.[LNB]'There are great rewards out there. You can become a multi-millionaire as a club player without playing international football.[LNB]'But international football is about individual pride and wanting to perform at the highest level.[LNB]'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.'[LNB]Brooking is reluctant to write Crouch off just yet and wants to wait for the full facts to emerge before believing the Tottenham forward no longer wishes to make himself available for selection.[LNB] Take a break: Birmingham keeper Ben Foster is on a break from international football[LNB]However, the 30-year-old has never been viewed as one of Capello's preferred strikers.[LNB]Crouch has started just five games during Capello's 37-match reign and did not make the bench on Saturday even though England had been reduced to just three fit strikers.[LNB]Yet he has also been one of the Three Lions' most reliable goalscorers, netting eight times during Capello's regime - part of an overall tally of 22, placing him joint 16th on the all-time England list.[LNB]He has proved to be a popular figure in the dressing room too and went to last summer's World Cup, although he was limited to two brief substitute appearances.[LNB] Hitting out: Sir Trevor Brooking, pictured alongside FA colleague Alex Horne (L) and chairman David Bernstein, insists nobody should walk out on their country[LNB]With Liverpool frontman Andy Carroll and Manchester United's Wayne Rooney both likely to be available for the August friendly with Holland, it seemed Crouch was about to get squeezed out anyway.[LNB]However, once his international break is confirmed, it would raise further question marks about Capello's handling of players, as well as reducing options in an area of the field England are not particularly well blessed anyway, given Kevin Davies and Jay Bothroyd were both capped earlier this season.[LNB]  Crouch quits Capello's England: Swiss snub last straw for Spurs hitmanCapello: We were shattered! Boss blames a long season for woeful showPatrick Collins: Capello's men look as if they can't wait to get away for a holidayPatrick Collins: Capello's men look as if they can't wait to get away for a holidayWhat was that, Joe? Hart appears to swear at cameraman after howlersEngland 2 Switzerland 2: Young rescues point to save Capello's blushes [LNB]  Explore more:People: Jay Bothroyd, Paul Robinson, Kevin Davies, David Bentley, Trevor Brooking, Peter Crouch, Fabio Capello, Andy Carroll, Wayne Rooney, Wes Brown, Ben Foster Places: Birmingham, Liverpool, The Netherlands, United Kingdom Organisations: Football Association

Source: Daily_Mail