Joe Cole understands what it means to represent England, but he also acknowledges the reasons behind several players dropping out of the Three Lions squad this past week.
England opened their November international window with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Greece, with much of the squad consisting of newcomers or players who haven't featured much for the Three Lions.
That's because notable names such as Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold were last-minute exclusions after originally being selected by interim manager Lee Carsley for matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.
For Cole, who earned 51 caps for England, turning down a call-up would be unthinkable.
“I think playing for your country is the most prestigious thing you can do," Cole said while speaking to Paddy Power. "Every time I got called up for England, it was a real honour and a privilege. Being a London lad and watching England at Wembley helped – sometimes the players in the north of the country might be a bit disconnected from it, and there are certain cities that feel very disconnected from it.
“For me, every player in the world should be brought up to put their country first. Football is so important to the people of this country, and every country. When you put on that shirt, you have a responsibility to play for England. That is my heart speaking."
However, despite his own personal feelings about putting on the England shirt, Cole understands why so many players are missing for the current pair of games — and he blames the organisations putting the competitions together.
“I think of what it would be like as a footballer, when FIFA and UEFA are throwing all these games and demands on you," he said.
"You have your family to feed; you have a career to look after – where can you find the time to rest? I know people will say that the players make thousands a week, they can just play and play – they can do, but you’re going to lose them. Do you want Lionel Messi at 23 to suffer an injury and not become the player he was?
“The greed to put more competitions has put more stress on the players, so I can understand them thinking about themselves and how they’re going to get themselves right for the busy Champions League and Christmas period.
I can understand their mindset, it’s a real conundrum, but when it came down to me, I could never pull out of the England squad – my conscious wouldn't let me, but I understand the lads that are doing so for their reasons.”