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The 20-year wait - when will we next see Sheffield Steel for England?
AS the country prepares to once again reflect upon its football team's failure to qualify for the European Championships, so Sheffield must contemplate its own failure to produce players capable of gracing the greatest stage.
It is believed to be 20 long years since someone born in the Steel City proudly donned a senior England cap and sported the Three Lions on their chest; a damning indictment of its claim to be a sporting heavyweight.
Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United have had success between them but, as breeding grounds for international talent, they have fallen short of their rivals in London, Liverpool and Manchester.
So what can be done to rectify this problem?
Mel Sterland, apparently the last person to achieve the feat when he faced Saudi Arabia in 1988, is among those deeply concerned by the drought and, as the tournament prepares for its grand opening on Saturday, he discussed possible solutions with The Star.
According to Sterland, a combination of ability, dedicated standard-bearers and sheer bloody-mindedness are pre-requisitites for anyone determined to follow in his footsteps.
"For me it came down to hard-work," he said. "Obviously you've got to be of a certain standard to be even be considered but even then you've got to have something extra.
"To represent your country is as good as it gets, it's the pinnacle really, it's what you dream of from the day you first start kicking a ball.
"I'm immensely proud that I was the last person from Sheffield to do it but, at the same time, I really do wish that more had followed.
"I mean this with no disrespect to the lads playing now but what gave me that extra incentive was my upbringing in the game.
"When I came through the ranks we swept floors, cleaned boots and did all the horrible jobs even though we'd already signed deals.
"That's what you did when you were a youngster and I think it was all part of the education.
"It made you appreciate what you had more and gave you that extra edge.
"I wonder if youngsters in the same position feel they've made it too early in their careers when actually they haven't."
Not that Sterland is a critic of the academy system embraced by both of the region's major clubs.
On the contrary; the former Wednesday, Leeds and Glasgow Rangers defender acknowledges it enables them to enjoy opportunities his contemporaries could only dream of as they swept crisp packets and dog ends off the windswept terraces.
Both Middlewood and Shirecliffe have proved adept at exploiting foreign markets with Bramall Lane in particular forging a series of relationships with clubs abroad.
Why do you think Sheffield has not provided a home town hero for England? Do you know of any young prospects on the horizion? Post your comments below.
Sean McAuley (Owls Academy Director):
I had a joke with my staff here recently that Sheffield is very good at producing bands but not so good at producing international footballers.
In fairness, the city produces plenty of excellent professionals but not many who reach that level. Ideally we want to be able to bring lads through who are from the area and have an affinity with the club. That's the aim.
There's a healthy competition between ourselves and United but we also have a good relationship too and, between ourselves, I think we do a good job of identifying the best youngsters in the area at an early stage and bringing them into the system.
When I started my career I went to Manchester United but that doesn't happen too much now. The youngsters tend to stay here and that shows we are doing the right thing.
Sheffield is a great city but if you look at the England team now, the east end of London, Manchester and the rest of the North-West seems to be the main providers.
After that people tend to think of the North-East. Perhaps that is also part of the problem. There are some smashing players in Sheffield but, sometimes, they find it hard to get the opportunities.
My personal opinion is that, for us to get another England international, we've got to have both United and ourselves challenging for major honours or even Premiership titles.
That way the lads coming through the ranks will be under the spotlight even more so there's more chance they'll get them. It would give them an edge.
Ron Reid (Blades Academy Director):
Time is the key to this. The two Sheffield clubs, ourselves and Wednesday, have got to work with Sheffield schools to find a way of ensuring the best young players in the city spend more time with us during the day.
Some teams actually work with their youngsters during the day a couple of times a week from a very early age. That's something we've got to find a way of doing from a very early age.
At United in recent years we've had 19 players pass through the system who have achieved international honours at various levels culminating in Phil Jagielka, now with Everton, who won his first senior England cap at the weekend. He also won under-21 honours, like Michael Tonge, and an England B cap with us.
Nick Montgomery has done the same with Scotland and we've got Stephen Quinn playing for the Republic of Ireland under-21's at the moment.
Adam Chapman did the same with Northern Ireland and Ben Starosta represented Poland at under-20 level. The international selectors keep a close eye on what we are doing here and United and Wednesday, have players currently with us they are monitoring.
They look at them over a certain period, the different assessors compile their reports and then a decision is made. I think it's fair to say that if you've got two players, one from Arsenal say and one from United, with nothing between them then the lad from Arsenal is probably more likely to get picked. But we've got a very good crop coming through at United so that's encouraging.
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All sport categories It is a development Sterland welcomes but, he warns, one which could stifle the growth of home-grown players unless strictly policed.
"I firmly believe that the best players, wherever they are from, will always make it," he said.
"But, if we are to produce another England international in the near future, then lads from Sheffield have got to keep on getting the chances they do at the moment to play youth and reserve team football.
"I don't necessarily believe in quotas for overseas players but I do think the idea of limiting the amount of youngsters we have from there playing at youth level is something we should explore if we want to see lads from the city eventually going on to make it with England.
"But of course the fact that it's been so long since someone from here made it to that level is surprising. Amazing really."
The rewards for going that extra mile are, however, worth it.
"I can't describe what it feels like," Sterland said. "To sit in that dressing room with the badge on your chest, well, it really makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.
"Honestly, for a footballer it's better than sex, it really is.
"Getting called-up is great in itself. When the manager tells you you're actually going to play it's even better.
"When you think of the number of players there are in the game who finish with nothing, no medals or caps, the fact that I played for England is something nobody can ever take away from me. It just made me so proud. Still does."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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