5 Great Footballers Who Could Be Playing For England

The Italian World Cup winner is an interesting one. He was eligible to play for the English national team, having been born in Ashton-Under-Lyne. His family ran a local pub before moving back to Italy when Simone was five; he even attended an English school for a brief time.

However, he managed to forge a career for himself in Italy, notably playing for Roma for nearly ten years. He also played for the Italian Under-21s, before earning his first cap for the senior team in 2002, against Turkey.

Perhaps, Simone is not the most noteworthy name in Italian football, but considering the fact he started all seven of the Azzurri's games in their 2006 World Cup triumph, the midfielder was no slouch either.

Known for his versatility and consistency, if England had chosen to call him up, he could have added much needed depth to the midfield. Despite English football being in a so called 'golden generation' in 2006, the fact that the trophy cabinet remained empty means that Perrotta's lack of consideration must be considered a missed opportunity.