Is this England's worst XI in the last 25 years?

"Do I not like this England XI", says Graham Taylor

Roy Hodgson doesn't have the luxury of a star studded squad for his games against San Marino and Estonia, so to help him feel a little better we asked Mike Norman to put together the worst England XI in the last 25 years...

I know what you're thinking? Where's Steve Guppy and Seth Johnson, and what about Michael Ricketts, surely the worst player ever to don an England shirt?

But hang fire, and let me explain.

If Guppy, Johnson, and Ricketts can get a run-out in a friendly game for England then so too can the 45-year-old 20-stone centre-back who plays for the Dog and Duck on a Sunday morning. And there's been plenty of those kind of players for England down the years - Neil Ruddock anybody?

So we're ignoring those who have only represented the Three Lions in an International Friendly and instead we've picked what we believe to be the worst England XI in the last 25 years from those who played in tournament football and qualifiers.

Oh dear Mr Taylor, you might want to look away now!

Goalkeeper - Ian Walker
(4 caps, 1996-2004)

The fact that the former Tottenham goalkeeper's four caps were separated by eight years says it all - he wasn't very good. But he was deemed good enough to play in a World Cup Qualifier against Italy. England lost, and we're not surprised given the clip below.

Right Back - David Bardsley
(2 caps, 1992-1993)

Bardsley spent four years at Watford between 1983 and 1987, his manager, a certain Graham Taylor. So when Taylor needed a right-back for England some five years later who better to turn to? To be fair to Bardsley he could certainly hit a ball (see clip), which is why he got a game against Poland in a World Cup Qualifier. We're saying no more.

Centre Back - Keith Curle
(3 caps, 1992)

Mancheser City centre-back Curle won three caps for England under Taylor, one coming at the 1992 European Championship finals. He never completed 90 minutes in any of his three games, coming on as a sub, or being subbed, for a winger each-time. Perhaps Taylor should take credit then for Curle's excellent goalscoring skills that he later demonstrated.

Centre Back - Earl Barrett
(3 caps, 1991-1993)

You don't get to play against Brazil and Germany unless... err... the England manager is Graham Taylor! Taylor picked so many bad right-backs that we're shifting a few across to the centre for him, where they actually excelled for their clubs! Barrett could play full-back and centre-back, and to be fair, was rubbish in both roles - though judging by this clip maybe he should have played as a stirker.

Left Back - Michael Gray
(3 caps, 1999)

Missing the crucial penalty in the richest game in the world made Sunderland full-back Gray the perfect candidate to play for England. We jest of course, but Gray, who played in two European Qualifiers, at least gives up the opportunity to watch one of the all-time great games of football.

Right Midfield - Stuart Ripley
(2 caps, 1993-1997)

It was bad enough Taylor giving Ripley his debut when the Blackburn winger was in his prime, but it was even worse for Glenn Hoddle to play him in a World Cup Qualifier some four years later. Ripley did make his England debut in the below game however, so he'll always be remeberred.

Centre Midfield - Gordon Cowans
(10 caps, 1983-1990)

Cowans made his professional debut in 1976, so you won't be surprised to learn that Taylor - yes him again - gave the midfielder his second 'competitive' England cap in 1990 just months after the Three Lions had done so well at Italia 90. Bryan Robson, David Platt, Paul Gascoigne, Peter Beardsley, John Barnes, Chris Waddle, Steve McMahon... no, Cowans was Taylor's midfield man!

*This is the closest clip we could find to Cowans in action;

Centre Midfield - Carlton Palmer
(18 caps, 1992-1993)

Wow, what did Taylor see in Carlton Palmer? Did the penny not drop? Palmer was an ever-present at Euro 92, and then an ever-present in England's ill-fated 1994 World Cup campaign - 11 competitve games in a row he featured in and the only time Palmer tasted victory was when the Three Lions faced San Marino and Turkey.

Left Midfield - Tony Daley
(7 caps, 1991-1992)

Tony Daley had electric pace, he scored the odd great goal, and he had some fantastic haircuts. Unfortunately for England he was useless. He played in one European qualifier and twice at Euro 92, never finished on the winning side, and was yet another of Taylor's failures.

Striker - Carlton Cole
(7 caps, 2009-2010)

Cole played seven times for the Three Lions, all from the subs bench, scoring a total of zero goals. Cole wasn't even a prolific goalscorer for West Ham so just why Fabio Capello played him in two World Cup Qualifiers is anyone's guess - maybe it was because he got into good positions like the one in the below clip.

Striker - Andy Gray
(1 cap, 1991)

Our only one-cap wonder is the English Andy Gray, a player who was given 45 minutes in a European Qualifier against Poland, a game England failed to win. Don't be surprised though, Gray's half-time replacement was the older Alan Smith, who quite easily could have been in this team also. Gray's finest moment came in the below FA Cup semi-final win over Liverpool though he says he can't remember his goal, much like we can't remember his England career.