Most out of place international

[cruicky]

Who is the most out of place international player as in they are really good but play for a third rate national team.

[gerr18]

Andriy Shevchenko

[Elninho]

I don't think there's anyone else in the same class as Shevchenko who also plays for a third-rate national team, but here's a few who really stand out from their national teams...

Julio Cesar Dely Valdes, Panama - longtime Spanish Primera player, on a national team that loses more often than it wins in CONCACAF competitions.

Shaun Goater, Bermuda - not exactly world-class, but at least a regular starter in the Premiership... and plays for a Bermuda team that isn't even good enough to be called third-rate.

Jeff Strasser, Luxembourg - regular starter for Kaiserslautern. The less said about the Luxembourg national team the better.

Eidur Gudjohnsen, Iceland - one of the best strikers in the Premiership, who has the misfortune to play for an island nation with little chance of ever qualifying for a World Cup.

Hasan Salihamidzic, Bosnia-Herzegovina - regular starter for Bayern Munich, but his country has yet to make an impact on the international scene.

[Treetaliano]

Not Shevchenko class, but regular contributer in Serie A:

Inter striker Mohammed Kallon - Sierra Leone
Brescia striker Igli Tare - Albania

[Canadian_Supporter]

Radzinski - starter with Everton, and plays for Canada.

[Luther_Gabriel]

I would certainly say that Shevchenko fits this the best. He is one of top 5 strikers in the world and he plays for a country that will never play in the World Cup.

[skipshady]

As with all the names above, not in the same class as Shev but Sami Hyypia and Jari Litmanen for Finland.

[wjarrettc]

When was the last time Wales qualified for a WC final? Ryan Giggs has got to be one of the greatest players never to play in a WC finals.

[skipshady]

Originally posted by wjarrettc
When was the last time Wales qualified for a WC final? Ryan Giggs has got to be one of the greatest players never to play in a WC finals. Wales has only participated in the 1958 World Cup. Before WW2, British nations did not see World Cup as a big enough event for them to be bothered with, and then ineptitude hit Wales.

By the way, Reebok made had a hilarious campaign starring Ryan Giggs during last summer's World Cup: http://www.giggsathome.com/

[gerr18]

Originally posted by skipshady
Wales has only participated in the 1958 World Cup. Before WW2, British nations did not see World Cup as a big enough event for them to be bothered with, and then ineptitude hit Wales.

By the way, Reebok made had a hilarious campaign starring Ryan Giggs during last summer's World Cup: http://www.giggsathome.com/

those videos are absolutely hilarious! i had no idea they did that with Giggsy.

...and Wales are playing incredibly right now...otherwise, I wouldve included Giggs in my original post.

[Maczebus]

I realise this is meant for current examples but just a couple from yesteryear thrown into the discussion:

George Best: Northern Ireland never qualified for a WC during his international playing career.

George Weah.

[Blue Army]

How about David Beckham, hes pretty good and plays for a third rate national team.

[Wolves_67]

Originally posted by Blue Army
How about David Beckham, hes pretty good and plays for a third rate national team.
You made me laugh..good one!

[gerr18]

Originally posted by Blue Army
How about David Beckham, hes pretty good and plays for a third rate national team.

only 11 posts before we got an England knock...im suprised.

now go bother someone else.

[BerwynBlazers]

some other mentions

marian pahars latvia
harry kewell & mark viduka but they cried and got their way so they will actually play in the next wc

[Auriaprottu]

Originally posted by BerwynBlazers
some other mentions

marian pahars latvia
harry kewell & mark viduka but they cried and got their way so they will actually play in the next wc

I wouldn't blame them personally. The governing body of Australian football, perhaps, and FIFA for sure, but Kewell and Viduka, as players, don't have that much clout.

[Parkhead_Faithful]

Originally posted by Auriaprottu
but Kewell and Viduka, as players, don't have that much clout.

Viduka might, the fat bastard ;)

[afgrijselijkheid]

how bout kuffour bayern/ghana
.............ruiz la galaxy/guatemala
.............johansson finland
.............berkovic man citeh/israel
.............barbarez hamburg/bosnia
.............mido ajax/egypt
.............khatskevich dynamo kiev/belarus
.............arveladze rangers/georgia
.............coulibaly marseille/mali

and i think wales might make it this time around

[Excape Goat]

Originally posted by Elninho

Julio Cesar Dely Valdes, Panama - longtime Spanish Primera player, on a national team that loses more often than it wins in CONCACAF competitions.

Shaun Goater, Bermuda - not exactly world-class, but at least a regular starter in the Premiership... and plays for a Bermuda team that isn't even good enough to be called third-rate.

Jeff Strasser, Luxembourg - regular starter for Kaiserslautern. The less said about the Luxembourg national team the better.

Eidur Gudjohnsen, Iceland - one of the best strikers in the Premiership, who has the misfortune to play for an island nation with little chance of ever qualifying for a World Cup.

Hasan Salihamidzic, Bosnia-Herzegovina - regular starter for Bayern Munich, but his country has yet to make an impact on the international scene.

This group fits the bill. Others:

Dwight Yorke

[Excape Goat]

Ukraine is one match away from qualifying in WC Finals. They also supplied the bulk of the old Soviet Union. He is not the first Ukrainian superstar. He will not be the last.

Oleh Blokhin was Ukraine produced two European Player of the Year winners -- Oleh Blokhin and Igor Belanov. In England, we had Andrei Kanchelskis starring for Manchester United. Valery Lobanovsky is perhaps the top 5 international coach of the best 50 years. I just don't see Ukraine is the same "class" as Panama, Bermuda, Sierra Leone, etc.


Andriy Shevchenko does not belong to the list.