Following on from the article ‘Five Players Who Should Have Won More England Caps’, we now look at those players who failed to secure a single appearance for the Three Lions but undoubtedly deserved to.
Read More: Five Players Who Should Have Won More England Caps
Players Who Never Played for England but Deserved To
In no particular order:
Jim Montgomery
Sunderland’s all-time record appearance-maker, goalkeeper Montgomery made Wembley’s greatest ever save during the 1973 FA Cup Final. His double save kept the Black Cats in front against the then-mighty Leeds United with Sunderland going on to lift the famous trophy 1-0.
However, during the 1960s and ’70s England were blessed with a host of excellent goalkeepers such as Gordon Banks, Peter Shilton, Ray Clemence and Peter Bonetti to name just a few. These stopped Montgomery from earning at least one cap for his country but he did come very close. In 1970, he was included in the provisional World Cup squad only to lose out when the squad was cut for the tournament.
Ron Harris
Ron “Chopper” Harris was an uncompromising and tough tackling defender. In almost 20 years at Chelsea during the 1960s and 70s, Harris played 795 games, captaining the Blues for almost half of these. He won the League Cup, FA Cup and European Cup Winners Cup but could never break into the England team.
Jimmy Case
A Liverpool star in the 1970s where he would win four league titles, three European Cups, four Charity Shields, one UEFA Cup and was named the best player in Europe in 1978, it wasn’t enough for Jimmy Case to be recognised by England.
Despite the midfielder battling some exceptional players to be included in the England squad, a player who was a regular during Liverpool’s 70s glory days and performed exceptionally for Brighton and Southampton, it’s a wonder how Case never got an England cap
Steve Bruce
A Manchester United legend, Steve Bruce was at the heart of their defence as they began to dominate English football in the early 1990s. Winning three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, three League Cups (one with Norwich City), Charity Shields, the European Cup Winners Cup and Super Cup, it wasn’t deemed good enough to force his way into the England team.
During this time, he was in the latter stages of his career but was still a top defender and with England struggling under Graham Taylor, United fans often wondered why he was never called up.
In 2014, when managing Hull City, he recalled a time when he did have a chance to play for England but turned it down. He told the Daily Express: “I had the chance. Terry Venables rang me. I think we were playing Nigeria at Wembley and they must have been struggling.
“He rang me and said, ‘I want to give you a cap’. I declined. My best mate, Bryan Robson, was Terry’s assistant and he was desperate for me to get a cap. I turned it down. I was close to 35 and I said, ‘I’m sorry would rather not have had an international career than just have a sympathy cap’.”
Howard Kendall
Part of the midfield called “The Holy Trinity” alongside, Colin Harvey and Alan Ball, Kendall was a major component of Everton’s success in the late 1960s. The Toffees reached the FA Cup final in 1968 and won the League title in 1969 with the Charity Shield coming soon after.
A tireless worker with excellent vision and a ferocious but fair tackle, Kendall is an Everton legend. He would captain the side for three seasons and would return to manage the club on three occasions winning several trophies. Following his death in 2015, former Toffees striker and manager Joe Royle echoed the thoughts of many. He told the Liverpool Echo: “Everybody says the same thing, the fact that he never had a full [England] cap is outrageous.”
Billy Bonds
West Ham United’s all-time record appearance maker, Bonds was a versatile player who could play at right-back, in midfield and central defence. A two-time FA Cup-winning captain and four-time player of the year, Bonds is a Hammers legend who also had a spell as manager. To many fans of West Ham, it is a travesty that Bonds never featured for the national team.
The reason why Mr West Ham never got a full international cap remains a mystery to this day. Competitive, combative, and confrontational but also skilful and intelligent, England’s loss was United’s gain.
Tony Coton
Wildly regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of the 1980s and 90s, former Watford and Manchester City man Tony Coton was unlucky not to have earned a cap for the Three Lions. A five-time player of the year during his career, the shot-stopper was a dependable and trusted player.
In the 1980s, Peter Shilton was England’s number one and his understudy Chris Woods were difficult to displace. In the 90s, Coton would be included in several squads but it was David Seaman and Woods who would battle it out with Seaman finally becoming the regular in goal. A move to a higher-profile club earlier in his career may have made the difference.
Dennis Mortimer
Following a move across the Midlands from Coventry City to Aston Villa, midfielder Mortimer played 406 games for Villa over a highly successful 10-year period. He would captain the club for many of these years helping the Villans win the League Cup, the league title, European Cup and European Super Cup. Despite his obvious talents, Mortimer was continually overlooked.
Paul Davis
A cultured midfielder who played 447 games for Arsenal during the 1980s and 90s, Paul Davis can count himself unlucky to be never given an England cap, especially in the early and mid-80s. A winner of two league titles, the FA Cup, the League Cup three times and the European Cup Winners Cup, the all-action midfielder came close to gaining a cap during the 1988/89 season.
However, an uncharacteristic incident against Southampton saw Davis break the jaw of a Saints player. He was suspended, fined and never got close to the Three Lions squad again despite winning trophies and playing some of his best football.
Mark Noble
A one-club man and another Mr West Ham, Mark Noble was a fixture in the Hammers team for 18 years, captaining the club and earning their Player of the Year award twice. The midfielder played at every level for England except the senior team. He captained the U18s and U21s but the call to earn a full cap never came.
A committed and hard-working midfielder who was also a penalty expert, Noble was a fan favourite at United. Speaking after retiring in 2022, Noble spoke about not being called up for England’s senior team and whether it bothered him. He said: “Do I believe I should’ve played for England? Yes, of course I do. But does it affect me? Not one little bit.
“I dreamed about playing for West Ham and I dreamt of captaining West Ham and all that and I’ve done that. Would an England cap be the icing on the cake? Of course. But do I worry that it didn’t happen? Not one little bit.”
