5 notorious World Cup crocks from Beckham to Rooney as England miss key stars

If history tells us anything it's that there's nothing more English than losing a key player on the eve of a World Cup … well that or losing on penalties!

Reece James is the latest big name to miss (or nearly miss) the tournament of tournaments through injury, with Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate opting not to risk taking the Chelsea defender given that he'd only be available for the knockout stages.

Given the over-abundance of talent he has at his disposal at right back, Southgate probably made the correct call, but as one of England's few elite-level stars, losing James is still a significant blow.

But we've been here before, haven't we? So without any further ado, here are five other top England stars who got crocked on the eve of a World Cup.

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Steven Gerrard – 2002

Sure, he wasn't quite the finished article back then, but England sorely missed Steven Gerrard at the 2002 World Cup.

He'd netted a stunner in England's iconic 5-1 over Germany a few months prior, shortly after helping guide Liverpool to a famous cup treble, but an agonising groin injury on the final day of the 01/02 season ended his hopes of making it to Japan and South Korea.

England crashed out to Brazil in the quarter-finals with a completely ill-equipped Nicky Butt taking Gerrard's place in central midfield. Needless to say, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho rang rings around him. Would they have done the same to Gerrard I wonder?

Should Gareth Southgate have taken Reece James to the World Cup? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Gary Neville – 2002

Another major omission from the 2002 World Cup was Gary Neville, who had played a major part in each of England's three previous international tournaments.

The Manchester United defender broke his foot two weeks before Sven-Goran Eriksson was due to announce his squad, in a Champions League semi-final clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

Danny Mills got the nod at right back, and barely ever looked comfortable.

Wayne Rooney – 2006

This one's a slight cheat as Wayne Rooney did actually go to the 2006 World Cup, but he was half-fit and only played one full match so we're counting it.

After exploding onto the scene as England's best player at Euro 2004, hopes were high that Rooney could lead the country's 'golden generation' to glory in 2006 … that was before he broke his metatarsal during a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in April.

Eriksson still decided to take him to Germany, even though he wouldn't be available until the final group match, but even then Rooney looked a shadow of his fully-fit, imperious best, and all he managed to do at the tournament was get himself sent off as England crashed out to Portugal in the quarters.

Rio Ferdinand – 2010

Rio Ferdinand waited until the last minute to rule himself out the 2010 World Cup, damaging his knee ligaments during the squad's first training session out in South Africa.

The Manchester United star didn't miss an awful lot, with England's tournament dogged by poor performances and infighting, but they'd have undoubtedly stood a better chance of getting things right if he was fit.

A mix of defenders stepped in to replace at the back, including Ledley King, Jamie Carragher and Matthew Upson – who netted a consolation goal in England's 4-1 defeat to Germany – all of whom barely matched up.

David Beckham – 2010

In all honesty, David Beckham probably wouldn't have even featured much at the 2010 World Cup, but losing such an important figure just before the tournament was nonetheless a big blow for England and for manager Fabio Capello.

The former Three Lions skipper, who was on loan from LA Galaxy at AC Milan at the time, injured his Achilles a few weeks prior – though Capello still brought him along as cheerleader.

England's World Cup ended in bitter disappointment, but at least Becks looked sharp on the touchline in his Armani suit.

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