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For me it was when I saw Gazza leave Colin Hendry on his backside. That was the moment that I knew I wanted to play for England.
Every football loving English child has a similar epiphany – a moment when they dare to dream of pulling on an England shirt and holding aloft the Jules Rimet trophy. Sure, as we grow older we become increasingly cynical and we realise that a) we’re a Sunday league player at best and b) England suck. But regardless, those dreams stay with you.
In this new age of ‘dual nationality’, those dreams are being crushed and distorted. Jack Collison will soon become the latest born and bred Englishman to betray his country by pledging his allegiance to another nation.
Rarely has it grated on me so much. As far as I was concerned, Ireland could have Clinton Morrison and as bizarre as it seemed, Trinidad & Tobago were welcome to Chris Birchall. But Jack Collison? No. The kid has talent.
When Collison steps out for Wales against Azerbaijan next week, he will be locked to Wales for the rest of his career. Whichever way you look at it, it seems a massive mistake.
20 year-old Collison has had a tremendous first full season at West Ham under the tutelage of Gianfranco Zola and looks a superb prospect. His high energy game and neat touches has lead to suggestions that he could develop into the ‘complete’ midfield player. With Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard unlikely to still be around come the 2014 World Cup, an improving Collison may have had a big future with England.
However, despite being born in Watford to two English parents, Collison, who has seven Wales U21 caps and four for the full side, will commit to John Toshack’s team when he wins his first competitive cap on the 6th June. The Hammers midfielder has commented that he his proud to play for his Grandfather’s country, but where is the pride to play for his own? Wales will never be his country.
Perhaps the dual nationality age where players can effectively pick and choose the country they represent is symbolic of a shift in society. As English men and women we are increasingly discouraged from showing national pride or patriotism, and traditional rivalries with other countries are papered over or forgotten. With football players (and everyone else for that matter) roaming between countries at will to ply their trade, the boundaries have been blurred. What is English anymore?
As a country we may claim not to poach players of other nationalities and throw our arms up in outrage at the suggestion of Manuel Almunia becoming Three Lions number one. In reality though, England is one of the most multi-cultural countries in the world, so how many of our heroes are truly English? Many will be second generation African, Caribbean or European.
Football players are undoubtedly selfish in the most part, and some will want to play international football to further their careers, no matter what the sacrifice. In many cases, the sacrifice is their national identity. For the likes of Matt Holland (Ireland) or Sam Ricketts (Wales), the choice was between no international football, or a change of allegiance. Matt Holland is a very erudite and eminently English person, but he enjoyed some great times with Ireland, scoring in the World Cup and captaining the country. For him, a player who would never have quite been good enough for England, the move made sense. Sadly for Collison, a player of real talent, the same cannot be said. The West Ham star will probably never play at a World Cup finals as a result of this decision and on so many levels it seems baffling.
With the lines so blurred and the home nations lending players to one another with gay abandon, perhaps it is time for a ‘Team GB’ after all?
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