Ex-Liverpool star Jermaine Pennant has expressed his disappointment about not playing for the England national team despite playing in a Champions League Final.
England has been a powerhouse in world football for many years, producing many greats of the game.
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As the nation is currently battling on the international stage for the upcoming glory, there have been players who did not get the chance to put on the national outfit and prove their worth.
And one of the names who perfectly fits into this category is Jermaine Pennant. The 40-year-old was a Premier League-proven winger who represented clubs like Arsenal, Birmingham City and Stoke City.
However, his most successful stint was at Anfield where he played 81 matches and scored 3 goals with 18 assists. He also won the English Super Cup with the Merseyside club.
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But his career highlight came when he played in the 2007 Champions League Final against AC Milan. Although the Reds lost the match he was one of the best players for the losing side.
Despite these achievements, Pennant never got a call-up to play for the England national team. He was already publicly backed by Rafael Benitez but then England manager Steve McClaren never called him up.
Ex-Liverpool forward Jermaine Pennant wishes he played for England
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Star on behalf of NewBettingSites.uk, Pennant expressed his disappointment in not getting selected for the national team. When asked about this, he stated,
“A little bit, yes. It was one of my dreams to achieve a senior cap. I did it for U21 and all the way down but not a senior level. As you said, to play a Champions League final – and get the Man of the Match as well – I thought ‘Yeah, this will definitely happen now’.
When it didn’t, it felt like a kick in the teeth but at the same time I only had myself to blame because of my off the field incidents during my career.If it had been I think it would have been different. Now, I think they hand out caps very freely – I was just in the wrong era.”
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He most certainly has been in the wrong era. He played in an era that is referred to as the ‘Golden Generation’ with the likes of Ryan Giggs, Steven Gerrard Frank Lampard, David Beckham, and so on.
As a result, there have been many players who have remained in the shadows, not getting the deserving chance. And Jermaine Pennant is one of the many.
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