International Inspiration

Club v Country

Luis Felipe Scolari’s anemic tenure at Chelsea was one more piece of evidence that club football and the international game are completely different beasts.  It’s no news that some excellent footballers completely lose the plot as soon as they put on their nation’s colours (ahem, Lampard and Gerrard.)  But then there are others who seem to only save their best for the international stage and will be clearly relishing the World Cup qualifiers this weekend.  Keep your eye out for them:

International Sheva flying high

Andrei Shevchenko (England v Ukraine) :  Having seen his star fall dramatically following a torrid two seasons at Stamford Bridge and a disappointing return at Milan, Sheva still remains his country’s go to guy. With a record 85 caps for his country, Shevchenko will be looking to show he still possesses the quality at international level when he comes up against Chelsea teammates Terry, Lampard and Cole at Wembley.

Robbie Keane (Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria, Italy v Republic of Ireland): A dream move to Liverpool earlier in the season ended in tears and an extended run on the subs bench before Harry Redknapp intervened and brought Keane back to North London. Up against a strong and physical Bulgaria side, Keane will again hope to prove to the world that it was Liverpool ’s mistake to let him move on so quickly.

Maniche (Portugal v Sweden): Having experienced relative success at club level winning the Champions League with Porto and Serie A with Inter Milan, Maniche’s quality on the international stage has resulted in 49 caps for his country. Never a player to outpace his opponent, Maniche’s passing and vision have allowed him to extend his stay with the Portuguese national team. His long range shot against the Netherlands in the 2006 World Cup was one of the highlights of the tournament. But, having been overlooked for the Euro 2008 squad by Luis Felipe Scolari, Maniche will be looking to prove his worth to new boss Carlos Quieroz.

Healy banging them in for Northern Ireland

David Healy (Northern Ireland v Poland , Northern Ireland v Slovenia): Signed for Manchester United as a teenager, Healy never made the grade and spent time at Port Vale, Preston North End, Norwich City, Leeds United and Fulham. Currently out of favor at lowly Sunderland, Healy still possesses the quickness of mind and speed of movement to bamboozle international defenders. All-time top scorer for the national team, Healy’s 35 goals in 71 internationals gives him a better scoring rate than world greats including Alessandro Del Piero, Cristiano Ronaldo and Michael Owen.