Players who should have gained more international caps

[JimBHibees]

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Alex Edwards.

One of the most skilful and cleverest midfielders / passers of a ball in British football for several years. Not one full Scottish cap.

Criminal.

Absolute shocker. Totally agree.

[Treadstone]

Tam Forsyth 22 caps. I wouldn't let him carry the hampers.

[Kato]

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I read more than a few times that Gordon Smith barely got capped because the SFA selectors preferred some inferior Rangers player.

Willie Waddell. There's the story that Waddell was picked over Smith for an International when Smith had been in great form. Remember these were days of the old laced up/bladder balls. Waddell put in a cross from which Lawrie Reilly headed to score and Waddell said to him, "Well done, that cross must have been as good as any that Gordon would have supplied". To which Reilly replied "Gordon would have made sure the laces were facing outward when it reached my head."

[Jonnyboy]

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Willie Waddell. There's the story that Waddell was picked over Smith for an International when Smith had been in great form. Remember these were days of the old laced up/bladder balls. Waddell put in a cross from which Lawrie Reilly headed to score and Waddell said to him, "Well done, that cross must have been as good as any that Gordon would have supplied". To which Reilly replied "Gordon would have made sure the laces were facing outward when it reached my head."

That’s a brilliant story ✅✅

I’ll add Jimmy O’Rourke to the list.

[jgl07]

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Alan Hansen

Wasn't he a perennial 'sicknote' who would develop a mystery 'injury' prior to international matches and then be perfectly fit a week later?

This was an occupational hazard with many of the Liverpool Scots with some notable exceptions such as Kenny Dalglish.

[SJNB Hibby]

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It's worth remembering that, clear Old Firm/Rangers bias aside when it comes to selection, there were - unless I'm mistaken, less international games - both friendlies and in the qualifying process - back in the 60's and 70's.

Incredible to think that we had qualified for the '74 WC after only 3 qualifying games, the 4th match against the Czechs was a dead rubber.
So 4-6 qualifying matches every 2 years, plus the Home Internationals was it, plus the occasional friendly. An all through the 60's we didnt qulaify for ANY tournaments, so part of the issue for some guys was just the lack of Internationals

[belhavenbill]

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If we are talking about out with the Old Firm All the Famous five .. Pat Stanton..Willie Hamilton..Alex Edwards.. Crops .
ERIC Stevenson ..John Brownlie ..John Blackley.lots of players from provincial clubs also

Totally agree. Criminal that likes of Willie Hamilton, Pat Quinn, Jim Scott even Neil Martin were regularly overlooked. I am a great admirer of Lewis but he has more caps now than some great players. All to do with number if fixtures and influx of foreign players into Scottish game. In the sixties most teams were made up of Scottish players.

[Famous Fiver]

Willie Hamilton.

[Slavers]

Kevin Harper

[heretoday]

Edwards

[heidtheba]

From my era - Darren Jackson and Kevin Harper. Didn't Harper get a hat-trick on either a Scotland B or a U21 match? I know DJ got caps but he was a superb player, especially around 95/96/97.

[G B Young]

It's tricky to compare different eras. When the likes of Gordon Smith and Pat Stanton were playing Scotland was awash with terrific footballers, with numerous players of not dissimilar ability vying for places. For the last 20 years or so, though, there have been some very average players who have racked up caps simply due to the fact the pool of talent is limited.

[G B Young]

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From my era - Darren Jackson and Kevin Harper. Didn't Harper get a hat-trick on either a Scotland B or a U21 match? I know DJ got caps but he was a superb player, especially around 95/96/97.

Darren was great for Hibs and a talented player for sure, but for him to have won more caps than Gordon Smith and Pat Stanton sums up how Scottish football had declined. I'd say 28 caps flattered Darren.

[ancient hibee]

Until his last few caps Gordon Smith didn’t take his club form to international games.A pity because he really was a wonderful player.

[BILLYHIBS]

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He played after this. Think his last game was the replayed away match in Estonia. Whole game we just punted the ball at him. 0-0 and he thought **** this.

Keith Wright
Paul Hanlon (not this season sadly)
Scott Allan (had he spent his career playing with us)
Kenny Miller (Mark burchill picked ahead of him in early days at Hibs)

Duncan Ferguson asked not to be selected for Scotland after the Estonia 0-0 game in February 1997 in protest for the three month prison sentence and 12 game ban imposed by the SFA

He only obtained 7 Scotland caps and retired from football in 2006

[Hibernia&Alba]

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It's tricky to compare different eras. When the likes of Gordon Smith and Pat Stanton were playing Scotland was awash with terrific footballers, with numerous players of not dissimilar ability vying for places. For the last 20 years or so, though, there have been some very average players who have racked up caps simply due to the fact the pool of talent is limited.

True, but 10 caps for a player like Bobby Lennox, who had a fifteen year career? It's astonishing.

[beensaidbefore]

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He played after this. Think his last game was the replayed away match in Estonia. Whole game we just punted the ball at him. 0-0 and he thought **** this.

Keith Wright
Paul Hanlon (not this season sadly)
Scott Allan (had he spent his career playing with us)
Kenny Miller (Mark burchill picked ahead of him in early days at Hibs)

Keith Wright would have been my shout too. Only 1 cap!

[heidtheba]

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Darren was great for Hibs and a talented player for sure, but for him to have won more caps than Gordon Smith and Pat Stanton sums up how Scottish football had declined. I'd say 28 caps flattered Darren.

That's a good point. Mind you, I look at the Scotland squad now and can hardly name any of them... It's managed to get worse!

[lapsedhibee]

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Willie Waddell. There's the story that Waddell was picked over Smith for an International when Smith had been in great form. Remember these were days of the old laced up/bladder balls. Waddell put in a cross from which Lawrie Reilly headed to score and Waddell said to him, "Well done, that cross must have been as good as any that Gordon would have supplied". To which Reilly replied "Gordon would have made sure the laces were facing outward when it reached my head."

[telford hibbee]

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That really is.

What's the reason for these players being overlooked? It's baffling. The likes of Johnstone, Lennox, Cooper were world class players.

Although I thought he was the better player was he not competing with Willie Henderson at the time. Also Jimmy Johnstone didn't like flying and that may have curtailed his availability.

[PatHead]

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Although I thought he was the better player was he not competing with Willie Henderson at the time. Also Jimmy Johnstone didn't like flying and that may have curtailed his availability.

There was no competition between Johnstone and Henderson. Johnstone was by far the best.

As mentioned above he did not like flying and wouldn't have helped himself with his wee sailing episode.

[brog]

I give you Des Bremner. I cap, as a sub for Kenny Dalglish. Never capped while with Villa despite winning European Cup with them.

[Greentinted]

The Man Who Hearts Let Down - Willie Bauld 3 caps???

[Frazerbob]

Robbie Stockdale

[brog]

To show some impartiality, the Hearts Terrible Trio of Conn, Bauld & Wardhaugh only earned 6 caps in total. Every member of the Famous 5 gained at least 6! Alex Young, The Golden Vision only earned 8 caps but scored 5 goals.

[ancient hibee]

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The Man Who Hearts Let Down - Willie Bauld 3 caps???

Never forgiven by the SFA for hitting the bar against England in 1950.Scotland could have gone to the World Cup finals but would only agree to go(!!!)if we won the Home Internationals Championship.We didn't probably due to Bauld's miss.

[superfurryhibby]

Just read that the caps total of the Lisbon Lions was 114. That seems remarkably low for a team that acheived what they did, 1 European Cup, 1 lost final and two lost semi finals in a few years. Bobby Murdoch only had 12 caps to his name, Tommy Gemmell 18.

For Hibs, in my time Stanton should have had more, same with Shades and Des Bremner. Shades was uo against Sandy Jardine, a fine footballer- but being played on the left when right footed. More recently, I thought John Collins was ready for Scotland before he was finally capped and Riordan and O’Connor should have been played together.

Before my time in terms of remembering games, but Scotland in the 60’s were blessed with tremendous footballing talent. Law and Baxter were world class by any standard and the back up cast was pretty awesome. Yet there seemed to be no consistency of selection. It’s also true to say that there fewer games. Not sure how valid a comparison this is, but Lawrie Reilly had a 7 year stint in the national side, first pick and rarely injured. He won 38 caps ( no world cup or European Nations qualifiers though)

[Jonnyboy]

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I give you Des Bremner. I cap, as a sub for Kenny Dalglish. Never capped while with Villa despite winning European Cup with them.

One of my all time favourite Hibs players, B

[BILLYHIBS]

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One of my all time favourite Hibs players, B

We did not realise how good until he left

Big gaps started to appear all over the pitch where he would have been mopping up in his sweat covered strip

Legend!

[Jonnyboy]

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We did not realise how good until he left

Big gaps started to appear all over the pitch where he would have been mopping up in his sweat covered strip

Legend!