‘I was next on the plane for England’s 2002 World Cup squad, but I’ve got no complaints about only winning one England cap’ David Dunn reflects on his Three Lions career

When you look up and down the list of England’s one-cap wonders, a fair few names stand out for various reasons.

Ahead of the March international break, a total of 360 players have won just a solitary England cap, a list which includes the likes of future Tottenham manager Bill Nicholson, ex-Manchester United stopper Alex Stepney, title-winning striker Chris Sutton and Three Lions one-time goalscorer David Nugent.

During the early 2000s, boss Sven-Goran Eriksson was spoilt for choice when it came to selection, with the Three Lions’ ‘Golden Generation’ featuring some of the best club players in Europe.

David Dunn reflects on his England career

The pool of talent available to the Swede meant that a number of talented English players had a fight on their hands if they were to break into the Three Lions squad. Midfield playmaker David Dunn, then of Blackburn Rovers, was one of these players.

After enjoying an excellent campaign for Rovers in the 2001/02 season, Dunn just missed out on a place on the plane to Japan and South Korea.

“The whole situation was a bit strange,” Dunn recalls to FourFourTwo. “I’d had a decent season and played at the European Under-21 Championship in Switzerland.

“I was then on standby for the main squad because of David Beckham’s metatarsal issues, and Trevor Sinclair’s place was up in the air with his injury problems too.

“I was actually the next one on the plane, but unfortunately it never happened, which was a real shame as it would have been an unbelievable experience for me to play at a World Cup.”

Dunn did get called up to the England squad in September 2002, but the 45 minutes he got off the bench as a half-time substitute against Portugal was the only time he represented his country. Does that grate on him?

“Not at all, because there were terrific midfield players during my time, like Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard – world-class superstars,” Dunn insists.

“I was fortunate to get in the squad when I did. But had I stayed clear of injuries when I was in my prime, I think that I would have played more for England. I should probably have had more caps, but I don’t feel too bad about it because I couldn’t stay fit and that took its toll.

“Honestly, I’m hugely proud of my one senior England appearance.”