If a player performs poorly for his club over a period of several months he might find himself lost in the 'international wilderness', a sordid place full of formerly recognisable footballers, the likes of Joey Barton, Keiron Dyer and David Bentley. Some are now plying their trade in the lower leagues; others are running tacky wine bars in Spain; the cruelest hit are standing in front of Sky News cameras offering their thoughts on Yeovil vs Maidstone, yet all are mere husks of human beings after finding themselves locked out of the England dressing room. In order that we don't torture these broken souls any more than is necessary, we must retire the 'international wilderness' and instead refer to their fate as 'a great opportunity to pursue future management interests'.
