Rishi Sunak’s controversial plan to bring back National Service would have prevented some of England’s biggest stars from announcing themselves on the international stage.
The Conservatives want all 18-year-olds to spend a year with the military if they win the General Election, and with no exemptions as yet announced that would mean footballers would need to report for duty in the same way labourers or students do.
That could keep young prospects out of the game for a season – and Best Payout Online Slots has looked at how stars from the recent past would have been denied to the Three Lions is Sunak’s scheme was in place then.
Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, who turned 18 on June 29, 2021, could have missed the 2020 EUROs which were played a year late, and would have been out for the year leading up to the 2022 World Cup.
It is 20 years ago since Wayne Rooney announced himself to the world for England at Euro 2004, but if the rules were in place back then he would have been an 18-year-old on the parade ground rather than out in Portugal.
And Michael Owen was also 18 years old during the 1998 World Cup – the age when he would have been expected to be doing his duty.
Manchester United wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo is tipped to star at the Euro’s next month, but having turned 19 in April, the reality would have been him spending the majority of last season in the military rather than on the pitch.
Over the decades, players like Marcus Rashford (2016 EUROs), Luke Shaw (2014 World Cup) and Rio Ferdinand (1998 World Cup) would also have missed out on big call-ups.
