Tag Archives: Lions

Scholes regrets Three Lions decision

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Manchester United veteran Paul Scholes has admitted that he regrets turning down the opportunity to play for England (9/1 to win the 2012 European Championships) at the World Cup in South Africa this summer.

The midfielder was believed to have been contacted before the tournament by national boss Fabio Capello who wanted to use the player’s experience for the major competition.

However Scholes declined the chance to play for England with his priorities set on spending time with his family before the start of yet another season with United.

The 35-year-old had to watch as the Three Lions scraped through the group stages of the tournament before being knocked out by old rivals Germany in the first knockout round.

Scholes has since revealed that it was Capello’s assistant Franco Baldini who spoke to him in an attempt to bring the player out of international retirement.

He said: “I said no, but not straight away.

“If I’d have had a couple of weeks to make a decision I would definitely have gone.

“And watching the World Cup  I wish I had gone. Following England’s display, people said I must be thankful that I wasn’t involved.”

“I can honestly say that isn’t the case,” he added.

England could have used a player like Scholes as they lacked a cutting edge in South Africa, only scoring three goals in the tournament.

However the United veteran will be fresh and ready for the new Premier League season.

The Red Devils will begin their top flight campaign when they take on Newcastle United at Old Trafford on Monday (Man Utd 2/9, draw 5/1, Newcastle Utd 12/1).

United will be looking to win back the Premier League title from rivals Chelsea who won 6-0 against West Brom on the opening day of the season but Scholes is not worried about the Blues favourite tag.

He said: “That doesn’t worry me.

“The three seasons in a row we won the league I don’t think many people fancied us.

“The more people who don’t think we are going to win it the better.”

This could be the midfielder’s last season with the club who have already won the FA Community Shield after beating Chelsea 3-1.

Scholes along with the likes of Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville could all be coming to the end of their time at Old Trafford in a playing capacity with positions in coaching roles a possibility.

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Walcott out of Three Lions squad

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England coach Fabio Capello has sprung a big surprise by leaving Theo Walcott out of his World Cup squad, but Shaun Wright-Phillips, Stephen Warnock and Joe Cole have got the nod.

Walcott made the headlines four years ago when then-boss Sven Goran Eriksson included him in his 23 for the World Cup in Germany, despite the fact he had hardly figured for Arsenal and never played for England.

The youngster did not make it on to the pitch back in 2006 and he will not be stepping out in South Africa either after Capello decided to leave him out.

The news does come as a surprise as Walcott played a key role in helping England qualify and he looked a certainty to be named in the squad when he scored a hat-trick as the Three Lions romped to a 4-1 victory in Croatia.

Since then the winger has struggled for fitness and form and he failed to convince Capello in the games against Mexico and Japan that he was worthy of a place on the plane.

Walcott’s final delivery came in for heavy criticism and it seems as though that could have been the deciding factor.

Capello has opted to go with Shaun Wright-Phillips, who hardly played for Manchester City in the second half of the season as he was kept out of the side at Eastlands by Adam Johnson, who has amazingly been left out of Capello’s 23.

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole is another player to have survived the cull despite only just returning to full fitness, but it is easy to see why Capello has included him.

In the striking department, Sunderland forward Darren Bent, who banged in 24 goals for the Black Cats last season, has been left out of the squad, while Emile Heskey who managed just three goals for Aston Villa and was kept out of the side by John Carew, gets the nod.

It is argued that Heskey would complement Wayne Rooney, who is 10/1 to finish the tournament as the top goalscorer, more but that will not wash with Bent who will be left wondering what elese he could have done to get into the squad.

It also means that Capello will just be taking four strikers in the form of Rooney, Heskey, Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch, when many believe you should take five.

Elsewhere, decisions had to be made at the back with Warnock getting the nod ahead of Leighton Baines, while Ledley King made it ahead of his Spurs team-mate Michael Dawson.

Capello has also confirmed that Gareth Barry will be fit enough to be included despite struggling with ankle ligament damage that could force him to miss the opening game against the USA.

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