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Considering the amount of talent European countries have been producing of late, a hoard of players have been left out in the cold on the international stage. On top of that, a defined national team setup can see them spending most of their time on the bench, regardless of how well-equipped a footballer may be.
Case in point: James Maddison with Gareth Southgate's England team. Like Leicester City's star man, many players have experienced a similar fate at the international level, despite their apparent pedigree.
Players with a criminally low number of international appearances
As stated earlier, 24-year-old Maddison has been gravely underused by Gareth Southgate. His constant injury struggles, coupled with his gaffer's personalized national team structure, have restricted Maddison to a solitary England appearance.
Keeping our focus on the Three Lions, the insane amount of depth they have in defensive positions has dampened the international careers of numerous players. To put things into perspective, Ezri Konsa, Ben Godfrey, Ben White and Fikayo Tomori have a combined five appearances between them.
Similarly, the French squad also appears to be stacked almost all the time. Consistent starters for their clubs, Theo Hernandez and Allan Saint-Maximin, have managed to score one and zero international appearances, respectively.
The lack of opportunities for his national side proved to be so overwhelming for Manchester City centre-half Aymeric Laporte that he ended up switching allegiances. 27-year-old Laporte now defends the Spanish crest on the international stage.
With so many missed opportunities to keep track of, let's take a look at five of the most valuable footballers yet to earn an international cap:
#5 Boubacar Kamara - €38m
Somewhat of an unknown entity compared to the rest of the names on this list, Boubacar Kamara has experienced rapid growth in the youth setup of Marseille. Despite only being 21, Kamara has displayed extreme maturity in his game, accumulating 127 senior appearances with his boyhood club at such a tender age.
With adept defensive midfielders hard to come by, Kamara is currently one of the hottest properties in French football. His proficiency at the base of midfield has garnered a lot of attention from bigger clubs, with a possible move away from the Stade Vélodrom becoming more and more likely.
Even so, the Frenchman has not received an international call-up to date. With N'Golo Kante's heroics keeping any half-decent defensive midfielder away from the French squad, Kamara has been no exception. However, at 21, the talented youngster has ample time to break into the international setup and cement his place at the base of France's midfield.
#4 Wesley Fofana - €40m
Wesley Fofana has encountered a meteoric rise to prominence, nailing a starting berth in a top Premier League side, aged just 20. The highly-rated center-back was bought for a colossal fee of €35m by Leicester City, with many considering the move to be a losing bet.
Nevertheless, in just one season of top-flight English football, Fofana has already silenced his doubters with some solid defensive showings. The Frenchman was a mainstay in the Leicester squad last season as the Foxes cruised to another successful Premier League campaign.
Currently sidelined until 2022 due to a horrid medial ligament injury to his leg, Fofana is yet to receive a call-up to the senior France squad. Didier Deschamps is spoilt for options in the center of defence, with Raphael Varane, Jules Kounde and Presnel Kimpembe being his most prominent choices.
Due to his shaky fitness record and insane competition in the center-half position, Fofana may have to wait a long time to secure an international appearance.
Also read: 5 defensive midfielders with the best tackling ability in the world right now
#3 Aaron Wan-Bissaka - €40m
Arguably the worst-affected individual by the aforementioned overload of talent in the English backline, Aaron Wan-Bissaka is yet to earn an international cap. Despite being a starter for one of the biggest clubs in world football, Wan-Bissaka has utterly failed to convince Gareth Southgate of his obvious talents.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker and Reece James already on their books, England are blessed with some world-class right-backs. However, a boon for his national side has quickly turned into a bane for Wan-Bissaka.
The unlucky Manchester United stalwart came really close to making his international debut in 2019 after receiving a maiden call-up. Nevertheless, a last-moment injury meant the 23-year-old youngster had to forcefully withdraw from the international setup. Fast forward two years and Wan-Bissaka hasn't been able to earn another call-up to the senior squad.
#2 Christopher Nkunku - €43m
Fresh off scoring a Champions League hat-trick against Premier League giants Manchester City, Christopher Nkunku is in the form of life. The versatile attacker already has six goal involvements this season, putting him on track to eclipse his output of seven goals and 11 assists last term.
Nevertheless, Nkunku has been unlucky to have been born in France in the current era, with Les Bleus experiencing a golden generation in terms of talent. Regardless of his exceptional creativity and dribbling skills, the 23-year-old playmaker still finds himself on the periphery of the national team.
The former PSG graduate has excelled in his two years with RB Leipzig, dazzling audiences with some stellar performances at the Red Bull Arena. Still, he only has six appearances with the U-21 France squad to state under international experience. With budding prospects continuing to emerge in the French territory, Nkunku has a long road ahead of him in terms of a career in international football.
#1 Diego Carlos - €45m
Pipping Nkunku by a matter of €2 million, Diego Carlos has the record of being the most valuable player at the moment, without an international cap to his name. Despite his status as a seasoned center-back, Carlos hasn't had the opportunity to play for Brazil's senior squad to date.
While French prodigy Jules Kounde ends up hogging much of the limelight when it comes to Sevilla's masterful defending, his counterpart Carlos is yet to receive the appreciation he deserves. The 28-year-old defender has been instrumental in Julen Lopetegui's Sevilla project, proving to be an undroppable cog in the system.
Carlos was part of the Brazil squad that won a historic Olympic gold medal earlier this year, making six appearances in the tournament. Nevertheless, head coach Tite hasn't been able to find a role for the 28-year-old professional in his Brazil squad. Consequently, he remains the most valuable player in football with no official appearances on the international front at senior level.
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