The 'best player to never receive England call-up' rejected 'sympathy cap' after being snubbed for years

The 'best player to never receive an England call-up' rejected a 'sympathy cap' after being snubbed for years.

Sir Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore are among the best players to play for England on the international stage.

They were both involved in England's sole World Cup triumph in 1966 on home soil, where they beat West Germany 4-2 at the old Wembley Stadium.

But several players who plied their trade in England's top flight never represented their country, including the likes of Chelsea legend Ron Harris and ex-Arsenal great Kevin Campbell.

Not to mention Steve Bruce, who enjoyed a legendary career at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Bruce played over 400 games for Man United and won three Premier League titles during his illustrious spell.

Steve Bruce never played for England despite his performances at Manchester United. Image: Getty

Despite his stellar performances for Man United, Bruce was never capped by England.

However, he was given the opportunity to play for the Three Lions in a friendly match against Nigeria.

But the bruising centre-back turned down the offer, calling it a 'sympathy cap'.

He revealed his conversation with then-England manager Terry Venables, who passed away in 2023.

"I was given the opportunity by the late Terry Venables," he said on talkSPORT.

"He offered me to play in a friendly at Wembley... I declined it and said; 'listen, Terry... thank you very much but as a sympathy vote to get one cap, I would rather not'.

Bruce questioned whether he had made the right decision and admitted he would have loved to play for England.

The 64-year-old, who also played for Norwich City and Sheffield United, was competing against the likes of Terry Butcher, Tony Adams and Des Walker.

He referenced former England managers Sir Bobby Robson and Graham Taylor, claiming he was never going to be the latter's 'cup of tea'.

Bruce had a long, storied career as a professional footballer and played for Man United during their glory days but never represented England.