Getting that World Cup squad call is either the greatest moment of your career or the one that breaks you. England football legends Micah Richards, Joe Hart, Theo Walcott, and Stephen Warnock know exactly how both sides feel.
The four BBC Sport pundits opened up about the brutal reality of pre-tournament squad selection, sharing personal stories of waiting by the phone before major international tournaments. For some, the call brought pure joy and the rush of representing England on the biggest stage in football. For others, it delivered career-defining heartbreak in a matter of seconds.
Walcott famously made the 2006 World Cup squad as a teenager, while others like Warnock faced the gut punch of missing out entirely despite giving everything at club level.
One phone call, one squad list, and an England career can be made or shattered forever.
Source: Original Article