International Career
As a Channel Islander, he was eligible for any of the Home Nations teams. Electing to play for England, he earned eight caps over three years, but failed to score at international level.
Le Tissier was picked by the then manager Terry Venables to start the ill-fated friendly match against the Republic of Ireland at Lansdowne Road, on 15 February 1995. With Ireland leading from a 22nd minute goal by David Kelly, a group of England fans began to riot, causing the Dutch referee Dick Jol to abandon the match.
In the run up to the 1998 World Cup, Le Tissier scored a hat-trick in a 4–1 victory for England B against Russia B, at Loftus Road; despite this, he was controversially overlooked by manager Glenn Hoddle for the final squad, a decision that the player himself cited as a hiatus in his career after which his form never fully recovered. Ironically, given his reputation for penalty taking, England exited the tournament after losing to Argentina in a penalty shoot-out.
Read more about this topic: Matthew Le Tissier
Famous quotes containing the word career:
“He was at a starting point which makes many a man’s career a fine subject for betting, if there were any gentlemen given to that amusement who could appreciate the complicated probabilities of an arduous purpose, with all the possible thwartings and furtherings of circumstance, all the niceties of inward balance, by which a man swings and makes his point or else is carried headlong.”
—George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)