With 19 caps for the England national team now, only six players have accumulated more than captain Jarrod Bowen during their time in the claret and blue of West Ham United.
Bowen played 75 minutes for Thomas Tuchel on Monday night as the Three Lions maintained their 100 per cent record in World Cup qualifying with a professional 2-0 victory over Albania.
West Ham United’s talismanic skipper is now only 14 away from matching Martin Peters’ tally of 33 international caps. Declan Rice earned 43 of his 72 caps as a Hammer.
Sir Trevor Brooking [47], Sir Geoff Hurst [49], and Bobby Moore [108] make up a truly legendary podium.
Tony Cottee, in contrast, played only seven times for his country. Despite emerging as one of the most prolific homegrown centre-forwards of his generation, West Ham’s second-highest all-time goalscorer was unlucky enough to find himself competing with the great Peter Beardsley and Gary Lineker.
Looking back, Cottee has no complaints really, insisting that a relatively paltry tally of caps is still a source of immense pride.
Much is made of the fact that Billy Bonds and Mark Noble never pulled on an England kit during years at the top level. What Bonds and Noble would give for one England outing, let alone seven.
Cottee, though, still cannot fathom how Julian Dicks managed to play 261 First Division and Premier League matches without being rewarded with a single cap of his own.
West Ham United legend Tony Cottee baffled by Julian Dicks’ England snub
Frank Lampard believes Julian Dicks was highly underrated during his two spells at Upton Park. Often harshly labelled a blood-and-thunder hatchet man, with his technical qualities flying well under the radar.
While Cottee would remain in the shadow of Lineker and Beardsley, Dicks was omitted in favour of Stuart Pearce, Tony Dorigo, Graeme Le Saux and Nigel Winterburn in the 1980s and 1990s.
“I look back and I am so pleased I played for England,” Cottee says. “To have seven caps is wonderful. I look at Billy Bonds, no cap, Mark Noble, no cap. Julian Dicks, no cap, which is ridiculous. There are so many good players that didn’t get a cap for England.
“To win seven caps, it makes you proud.
“I had Lineker and Beardsley in front of me, a wonderful partnership. I was [at my best from] 1986 to 89, between two World Cups.
“It was just hard for me to get playing time in front of those two.”
Dicks recalls Paul Gascoigne’s firecracker flashpoint on Three Lions duty
In his 2023 Hammer Time autobiography, Dicks feels a certain prank-loving roommate had a lot to do with his lack of international opportunities. What might have been, if Paul Gascoigne had not got his hands on those dreaded firecrackers…
“I was convinced a bomb had gone off, until I saw Gazza emerge from the room laughing his head off,” Dicks said, reflecting on a very memorable night on England Under-21 duty at the 1988 Toulon Tournament.
“I was standing in the middle of the corridor, totally naked, with my hands protecting my modesty. What a sight that must have been. Once again, Gazza got away with it, as I ended up taking most of the blame for it.
“I actually think there was a good chance that episode contributed to the dim view that was taken of me by the England management in years to come, helping to tarnish my reputation which meant I never received a full England cap, or call up.”
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