Soon the 2022 World Cup will be on and as it comes closer thoughts are on different topics luring around. One is on all those players being picked for pre-duties or in preliminary squads. When the finals starts this group of players were all excluded and never even appearing for their country.
These nearly men also included names with Leicester relations. Looking in the lists you will also find famous World Cup stars among those as this has been usual all up to this very next World Cup.
Gordon Banks was at Leicester and established in the first team at the time, but still never came closer to the 1962 World Cup than the inclusion in the first squad of 40, as it was reduced to 22 by the time the finals appeared. Tony Knapp and Jimmy Bloomfield were two others also missing the cut at the very same World Cup not getting on the plane to Chile.
Jimmy Bloomfield later to become manager of Leicester was never capped at full international level at this time playing for Birmingham City. A talented midfielder who also appeared for Brentford, West Ham, Arsenal, Plymouth and Orient.
Tony Knapp had just left Leicester for Southampton and the talented central defender had the same experience as Bloomfield, never to be capped at full international level. Later a legendary coach in Norwegian football, winning The Double with Viking of Stavanger.
Peter Shilton was in the brutto squad for the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, but when it was cut down to the final 22, sent home. He had to wait 12 years to finally getting a chance to appear in a World Cup being the first choice for the tournament in 1982, he also kept his place as England qualified in 1986 and 1990. .
Allan Clarke, at the time with Leeds, made the final 22 for Mexico, but had to wait for his first cap as he got his chance vs. Czechoslovakia and even scored from the penalty spot, with the only goal of the game as England got their 1-0 win.
Martin Hodge was named as part of the first 40 in front of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, he was excluded as well, then at Sheffield Wednesday. He later moved to Leicester and played in the years from 1988 to 1991.
No surprise if Harvey Barnes, James Justin and James Maddison all are included on such a brutto list of players, but still the finals in Qatar could well be played without them.
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