5 English Footballers Whose Careers Were Wrecked By Injuries

It is the lot of every English football supporter to bemoan the lack of quality in the national side. It is understandable, of course; they last won the World Cup in 1966, and have never won a Euro tournament. It is particularly frustrating considering the amount of money plunged into the Premier League every season; while it consistently produces some of the most thrilling matches, jaw-dropping goals and talked-about controversies, the amount of home-grown top-class players produced is embarrassingly scarce. The World Cup victory has been a great source of national pride for nearly half a century, though as the years go by, and England seem to worsen with every tournament, the gleaming Jules Rimet trophy is something of a constant reminder of the standards that for so many years the national setup has failed to achieve.

Here, I take a look at five English footballers, who, on their day, were excellent - certainly good enough to at least be considered for international tournaments. Inevitably, discussing these players often conjures up 'what could have been' scenarios; could England have made a sterner challenge for trophies had two or three of them been available? As always, don't hesitate to add your suggestions, criticisms etc in the comments.