Best player to never play in a major international tournament?

Bounty Hunter

A friend of mine asked me this the other day and after a while I came up with the two George's, Best & Weah. are there any other truely world class players you can think of that never got to prove it on the biggest of stages?

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Best, Giggs.

Brady.

Sherifu

Brady was a shame all right.

monkey9

Rushy

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Sparky.

decob

Steve Bruce, & Giggs

OPENROAD

Nigel Winterburn.

Pigman II

LeTissier

Culchie

I'm finding it hard to see how Steve Bruce and Nigel Winterburn entered this thread. If they weren't good enough to play for their country, they can hardly fall into the 'best ever player' category.

I think you'll find it hard to beat the first two names in the thread, Weah and Best.....Giggs worth a mention. There'll probably be another real gem as well.....but Winterburn, lmao.

Culchie

Did Di Steffano play in major championship?

Bounty Hunter

Culchie wrote: »

I think you'll find it hard to beat the first two names in the thread, Weah and Best.....Giggs worth a mention. There'll probably be another real gem as well.....but Winterburn, lmao.

I was talking about Weah and thats how my mate got onto the theads topic. With Reference to Ronaldinho's possibly move to Man city: what happened the last time Man City signed a former world player of the year... City got relegated and Weah fecked off after 10 weeks

mikemac

Has to be George Best

This thread needs a poll

evad_lhorg

Young Ryan Giggs.

Malice

Matthew Le Tissier.

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Culchie wrote: »

Did Di Steffano play in major championship?

Good shout.

According to Wiki he never played in a WC anyway.

iregk

now this is an interesting thread for a change. The two georges are hard to beat but Di Steffano what a shout! Thats probably the best one right there.

As for the Winterburn and Bruce comments, truely hillarious lads!

Charlie

I would have to be Best, shading Giggs, Although Ian Wright Wright Wright never played in one did he?

kmart6

Vidic:D

Bubs101

Litmanen as an outside shout

Culchie

I'll throw another into the mix, it won't win any poll, but he's worthy of a mention in this thread, considering Winterburn and Bruce made it ....lol.

At least he could genuinely lay claim to being the world's best in his position for a few years.


Neville Southall

monkey9

Gary Waddock

Culchie

monkey9 wrote: »

Gary Waddock

Off topic.

estebancambias

Liam Brady. He's like our best player we have ever produced so he must be up there, considering Roy Keane is considered one of the games all time greats.


SAVIO!!!!!!!

Mr.Nice Guy

How about Duncan Edwards? I remember reading Bobby Chalrton's autobiography and he was convinced he was going to be an England regular for years to come. He even noted that it could have been Edwards lifting the trophy in 1966 instead of Bobby Moore if things had turned out differently. Here's what Wiki has to say on him:

By now he was also a regular in the England team, featuring in all four of England's qualifying matches for the 1958 FIFA World Cup and scoring two goals in the 5–2 win over Denmark on 5 December 1956. He was expected to be a key player for England in the World Cup finals, and was seen as a likely candidate to replace the veteran Billy Wright as national team captain.

A great pity.

leninbenjamin

almost the names mentioned here worthy (except all the Englishmen bar Edwards), but i'd go with Best personally.

did di Stefano play in the Euros? i know they started in 1960 and he was still playing for Spain then.

Galvasean

I'd go with George Best.
Honorable mentions to Liam Brady, George Weah and Ryan Giggs in that order.

grenache

Has to be Best, with an honourable mention to John Charles.

jem

from a rep of ireland point of view- brady and giles,& mark lauro
from a world point of view there can be only one best, honourable mentiones for G weah, john charles, ian rush,

Xavi6

Georgi Kinkladze

kryogen

nothing new to add really,

Weah, Best, Giggs

i will say one thing though, Steve Bruce never playing for his country was a disgrace

x in the city

Terry Phelan tbh.

well no, Giggsy. southall also. legend

kryogen

x in the city wrote: »

Terry Phelan tbh.

World Cup 94 tbh

x in the city

lol

garreth farrely so.

:cool:

Rockee

Clinton Morrison:cool:

kryogen

hmmm..... Clinton Morrison would be a legal loophole, he travelled to the 2002 World Cup and was in the squad but didnt actually kick a ball......he was at the tournament none the less!!

is this turning into the ****e players who have been at major tournaments thread btw?

iregk

kryogen wrote: »

i will say one thing though, Steve Bruce never playing for his country was a disgrace

Not really, I personally didn't think he was good enough. Pallister was 10times the player Bruce was.

weemcd

king eric didnt get to play a world cup final. but he did get a few poor euros under his belt...

ibh

weemcd wrote: »

king eric didnt get to play a world cup final. but he did get a few poor euros under his belt...

And people question how good he really was??!!Amazing

chopperbyrne

Paolo Di Canio

Did Le Tiss not play in Euro 96?

Malice

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Did Le Tiss not play in Euro 96?

Nope, he didn't make the England squad. According to here the England strikers were Fowler, Ferdinand, Shearer and Sheringham.

Death or Glory

Tony Yeboah

grahamo

Best, Weah go without saying. Matt Le Tissier also. He drifted in & out of games but on his day he was fantastic!

iregk

chopperbyrne wrote: »

Did Le Tiss not play in Euro 96?

Nope. England didn't make WC '94, El Tel didn't like him and so didn't pick him for Euro '96 and by 98 he was gone from internation football after a massive haul of 8 caps and a stunning return of 0 goals...

Juan Pablo

Arthur Friendinreich. Ok he was 38 when the world cup started in 1930, but still scored more goals than the media whore that is Péle.

An obv the former Man City great George Weah.

Boom_Bap

George Weah's "cousin" that played for Southhampton!

patmac

grenache wrote: »

Has to be Best, with an honourable mention to John Charles.

John Charles played in the 1958 World Cup. Best FTW.

The G Child

If we're not counting the ACN as a major tournament then Abedi Pele was a great African player. Not one of the best ever That would be Weah), but good none the less.

I have to laugh at the whole Steve Bruce thing. While I reckon that the Winterburn one was a joke, I'm sure United fans would genuinely have Steve Bruce in the list.

Great Irish and British players would include Best, Giggs, Brady, Giles. Le Tissier was a great player, but never done it when given the chance on the international stage.

If Di Stefano does qualify then he is possibly the best, along with George, never to have played. But I'm sure that Di Stefano was drafted into the Spain squad along with Puskas for a tournament. Could be wrong though.

Kinda32

George Weah played in the ANC, and Di Steffano played for the argies in the Copa America... If you include the Euro championship as Major, then these two have to fall in that category too!!

George Best has to be best to never have played..

Honourable mention's to Giggs and Ian Rush

tdv

Eamon Dunphy

secman

Jackie Jameson

Kildarered

Has to be Giggs