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The English National team is always a subject of ridicule and jeer because of their repeated failure in delivering performances that live up to the hype in major international tournaments.
With most of the players being homegrown and plying their trade in the Premier League and with the Premier League being one of the most followed sporting leagues in the world, the pressure on the players is immense and so is the hype surrounding certain players.
We have observed, on various occasions, that the hype and build-up around certain players are bigger than what they display on the pitch and we have witnessed quite a lot of average if not below par footballers donning the Three Lions' kit.
Here, Let's take a look at some of these call-ups that sound absolutely ridiculous now, looking at how the careers of the players mentioned have panned out.
#5 Martin Kelly
Position: Fullback
Appearances for England: 1
Current club: Crystal Palace
A Liverpool academy product and a former Liverpool player, Martin Kelly holds the dubious record for having the "Shortest ever English international career" with his stint for the English National Team lasting for a span of two minutes. Looking at how his career has panned out, it looks highly unlikely that Kelly will add to those 2 minutes of playing time either.
A useful player for a mid-table side at best, Kelly is a perfect example of an English player who received a lot of media attention and hype along his progression from a youth level player to a full-fledged Premier League player but failed to live up to the standards claimed off him.
Currently, in and out of Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace side, the fullback got his England call-up for an International friendly against Norway in 2012 and was even named in the squad for the 2012 Euros, replacing an injured Gary Cahill for the tournament.
Once a promising young defender at Liverpool, an injury layoff suffered after he ruptured his Anterior Cruciate Ligament can be cited as one reason for his failure to reach the heights expected of him, but whatever said and done, looking back at his call up now and looking at the number of elite fullbacks in the English National Team roster, this one certainly does come up as one of the weirder call-ups to the English national team.
#4 Kieran Richardson
Position: Winger/Fullback
Appearances for England: 8 (2 goals scored)
Current club: Inactive (Free Agent)
One of those who bloomed early in their careers and fizzled out prematurely, Kieran Richardson was one of a long list of youngsters promoted to first-team football by Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
He enjoyed his first spell of extended first-team action when he was loaned out to Bryan Robson's West Brom side who completed the great escape from relegation on the last day of the season. He made 36 appearances for United in the following season, scoring 6 goals in the process.
However, his role in the squad was diminished in the following campaign and was part of a group of players named by Sir Alex Ferguson as 'players who could benefit from spending some time in Manchester United's reserve team' following a League Cup defeat to Crewe Alexandra.
His career took a relatively downward spiral from then on, with all of his 8 England appearances coming during the period from 2005 to 2006.
Having scored 2 goals on his International debut, one would have expected much from Richardson in an England kit. However, that proved to be his only start and the only game in which he would score for the English National Team.
Following his departure from Manchester United, he played for Sunderland, Fulham, Aston Villa and Cardiff City. His last involvement was when he underwent a trial at Granada in La Liga with Nigel Reo-Coker after interest shown in them by former England international, Tony Adams.
Currently 33 and unemployed, Richardson has been linked with moves to Southend United and Coventry City, a far cry from what was expected from the exciting young talent who scored on debut for England and made the cut at Ferguson's Manchester United.
#3 Jay Bothroyd
Position: Striker
Appearances for England: 1
Current club: Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
Another one-cap wonder, Jay Bothroyd was the first Cardiff City player to feature for England and was the first Football League player since David Nugent to feature for the English national team. An absolute nomad of a footballer, Bothroyd has featured for no less than 12 clubs across the globe and currently plays for Japanese club Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.
To think that a player who has scored only 7 times in around 60 odd games in the English top flight was given an English cap is baffling, considering the fact that the English striker roster in 2010 when Bothroyd won his cap, contained the likes of Micheal Owen, Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch and Darren Bent to name a few.
One of those who will be forever remembered as a disastrous selection to the English national team and as another dubious addition to the list of one cap players, Bothroyd is one of the symbols of the mediocrity that has become synonymous with the English national team over the years.
#2 Fraizer Campbell
Position: Striker
Appearances for England: 1
Current club: Hull City
A former Manchester United youth academy product, Campbell is another one of those English footballers who was burdened by the Manchester United tag and had to live under the microscope bearing the burden of the 'prospect' tag labelled on him by the media and fanfolk surrounding Manchester United.
Scorer of a mere 18 goals in his 150 appearances in the English top-flight, Campbell was no big hit in the lower divisions as well, with his only prolific spell coming during his solitary season on loan to Royal Antwerp in the Belgian League in the 2006-07 season and in the following season when he was loaned out to Hull City in the Championship.
Probably his biggest contribution to Manchester United would have been his inclusion in the Dimitar Berbatov deal with Tottenham, where he was sent on loan to Tottenham in addition to a sum of around £30 million.
Campbell was called up to the English team surprisingly, in 2012, even though he had scored only 6 League goals in 4 years. His bond with Stuart Pearce, the then England manager who was in charge of England's youth setup previously and had given Campbell all 14 of his u-21 caps for England was directly responsible for his call-up.
Another striker addition to the list of one cap wonders.
#1 Shaun Wright-Phillips
Position: Winger
Appearances for England: 36
Current club: Phoenix Rising FC
Let's begin this by laying down the fact that Shaun Wright-Phillips was not as bad a player as the others on this list. He makes it here because of the ridiculous fact that his career accounted for 36 international caps for England.
To put that into perspective, take a look at some well-known names and much more established footballers who made less than 36 appearances for England: Michael Carrick, Ian Wright (Wright-Phillips' father), Robbie Fowler, Paul Merson, Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole and Ray Parlour to name a few.
A diminutive winger who was fast and tricky to deal with, Wright-Phillips enjoyed a very successful stint at Manchester City, even featuring in the PFA team of the year in the 2004-05 season and bagging the Manchester City Young Player of the Year award 4 times on the bounce.
A £21 million switch to Chelsea followed, but he never became a permanent fixture at Chelsea, featuring in and out of the first team picture mostly. Following a few frustrating seasons, he made a return to Manchester City.
The move didn't work out well, with newly rich City bringing in better talent with their new finances, meaning that Wright-Phillips would only be a fringe player at the club.
From then on, Wright-Phillips endured a fall from grace from the top. He subsequently played for QPR, before moving to the MLS to sign for New York Red Bulls and later to Phoenix Rising for whom he features at the time of writing.
Even though his initial selection into the English squad as a young, pacey talent was justified, his continued selection even after his inability to deliver consistently in the top flight was uncalled for, and his selection into the 2010 World Cup squad for England ahead of youngsters Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon, who were faring far better than him, was also surprising.
