Jamie Carragher Admits One Golden Generation Player Deserved More England Caps
Jamie Carragher has named the "great" player from England's 'Golden Generation' who should have got more caps.
The term was given to the crop of England players in the late 90's and early 2000's, with the Three Lions blessed with a host of world-class players including the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney.
Competition for places during that particular period was so strong that many talented players did not play as much for the England national team as many would have expected.
Liverpool legend Carragher recently spoke about two "special" players he played with during his younger days who never had the honour of playing for England.
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But in the same exclusive interview with SPORTbible, he also singled out Kieron Dyer as a player who he thought would have featured more prominently for England.
Dyer made 225 appearances in the Premier League, turning out for Newcastle, West Ham and briefly QPR after coming through the ranks at Ipswich Town and starring in the second tier.
Dyer, who rejected moves to Arsenal and Leeds, made his England debut in 1999 and played 33 times, - including making three appearances at the 2002 World Cup and a single cameo at Euro 2004.
But with his versatility and potential, Carragher believes Dyer ought to have played a lot more than he did.
“I thought Kieron Dyer was a great player around those times," Carragher said.
"His pace, he could play No.10, centre midfield, right midfield, left midfield and right-back. He was a player I used to look at and think, ‘Could he have got a few more?’.
“I’m not sure how many caps he got but he was a player I used to look at and think, ‘Wow’. He’s someone maybe not remembered for playing too often.
“We get laughed and it was never the term of the players – the Golden Generation – but there was some absolutely great players in that team and you see how many went on to win 100 caps. That’s not easy to do for England.”
Dyer's England recognition
Dyer's last appearance for England came in 2007 and last month, he was presented with his legacy cap, number 1906, at Wembley prior the friendly between England and Wales.
In March, the FA announced they indented to hand out the special legacy caps to every player who has represented England since 1872 when the country played their first against Scotland.
Peter Shilton, England's most capped player, also received recognition alongside Tom Cleverley, John Gregory and Stuart Ripley.
"Obviously it’s the pinnacle to play for your country," Dyer told 1866 Sport on his special achievement.
"I’ve got my individual caps. I was lucky enough to play for the country 33 times.
“It was interesting to find out what my legacy number was. I was number 1,096. It’s a red cap; it’s got the number on – it was a nice touch.
“I got invited to Wembley, a guest in the Royal Box, and there were probably about ten other players, that got their legacy caps on the night as well.”
Robert Barker is recognised as the first player to represent England, with Nico O'Reilly of Manchester City the 1296th and most recent after making his debut against Serbia on Thursday night.
Former 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' and Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins contestant Dyer is currently working as a first-team coach at Chesterfield, reuniting with Paul Cook after holding a similar role at former club Ipswich.
Liverpool and England legend Jamie Carragher is spearheading the next phase of Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation’s pioneering Every Minute Matters campaign with a month-long awareness drive to equip grassroots football clubs with lifesaving CPR and defibrillation skills.
Topics: Jamie Carragher, England, Spotlight
Josh Lawless