The starting XI's for England and the Netherlands may not be the most inspiring, with injuries, hectic end of season schedules and fading fortunes causing Roy Hodgson and Danny Blind to field line ups bereft of the world class superstars that have so often taken part in fixtures between the two countries.
Ten years ago, Steve McClaren's Three Lions ventured to Amsterdam to resurrect their poor form with a morale boosting victory over one of international football's elite, but were robbed of doing so by a Rafael Van Der Vaart equaliser, which cancelled out Wayne Rooney's opener.
England's team from the November 2006 friendly was littered with talent, including the aforementioned Rooney as well as Lampard, Gerrard, Terry, Ferdinand, Ashley Cole and Michael Carrick. That being said, Kieran Richardson, Andy Johnson and Shaun Wright-Phillips' involvement should also tell you that strength in depth wasn't a luxury enjoyed during McClaren's disastrous reign as Three Lions coach.
As for the Netherlands team, with the exceptions of Seedorf, Robben, Van Der Vaart and Huntelaar, star quality is in short supply, as you can see from the team sheets below:
Picture via BBC Sport
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(H/T BBC)
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Football, England, Netherlands