10 Notable Absentees From England’s World Cup Squad

At 35 years of age, this was Defoe's final opportunity to demonstrate his skills on the grandest stage of all, but it just wasn't meant to be. The former Tottenham and Toronto FC man has had a substandard season with Bournemouth and was never too likely to get a ticket to Russia, but had openly stated his desire to play for England again and was clearly doing his best to convince Southgate of his qualities.

Sadly, his best wasn't quite good enough. He only scored four league goals in two dozen appearances this year, contributing to his team's efforts with some decent hold-up play and solid performances, but lacking the pace and firepower that once made him such a lethal finisher in the past.

In spite of his poor form, an argument could have been made to include Defoe. For England, he's been very reliable down the years, scoring 20 goals in 57 appearances, and his experience and knack for getting in good positions could have been handy in the last 10-20 minutes of tough games.