Filed under: Football, England Football
From being brave enough to take a penalty against Spain at Euro 96 - and therefore expunge the pain of his squandered effort against Germany at Italia 90 - to walking off the pitch with a broken leg when playing for West Ham United in 2000, Stuart Pearce has always been a man who has done things his own way.Those two examples are wonderful snapshots of a man who refuses to be cowed, who pleases himself and who appeared to possess almost limitless inner strength and mental toughness.
And Pearce is again showing his obstinate streak in the ever-continuing saga relating to who he picks for the England under-21 side.
Arsenal and Liverpool remain adamant that Jack Wilshere and Andy Carroll respectively are not strong enough to be picked for both the full international side and the Under-21s.
They would much prefer their players to spend the summer resting and building up their physical strength ahead of next season.
That opinion runs in direct contrast to Pearce's belief tha the duo are eligibile for his side and are certainly first-choice selections, particularly with the under-21 European Championships being contested in Denmark this summer.
For too long, the whims of selfish Premier League clubs have been accepted and acknowledged - but no more. Pearce wants those two players for his side and who would bet against him getting them?
He is not interested in the politics of the scenario. He is not interested in sensibilities and keeping everybody happy.
He is not interested in anything other than English success and English victory and and for that reason alone, fans of the English national side should applaud the fact that the stars of tomorrow are being overseen by a man who has nothing but national glory on his agenda.
Just as it should be.
After watching England lose 2-1 to Iceland on Monday night at Preston North End's Deepdale, Pearce could have avoided the questions relating to Wilshere and Carroll and chosen the diplomatic path.
But ask any player who came up against Pearce in his 1990s pomp and they would tell you the left-back had no diplomacy whatsoever on the field and he has clearly not learnt much off it.
He said: "Jack's been in this squad, he helped the squad qualify for the finals, and I know how good he is.
"The same with Andy Carroll, who's played three or four matches at this level.
"What do I want? England at a young age group to win things like the under-17s have. I believe that equates to the senior team being successful in the future.
"I'm patriotic to this country so I would say that. It's not from a selfish point of view.
"We would look slightly amateurish maybe if we decide to leave our best players at home because we generate this myth that we play more football than anybody else and all of a sudden maybe Spain turn up in our group and they might have a World Cup winner in their ranks.
"That would look rather silly, I think.
"There's been a little bit talked about doing the clubs favours but my main consideration A is to England, B is for England to win, and C is to the players."
Pearce, for the first time in a long time, is a international manager underlining that he will ignore the glitz and glamour and demands of the Premier League and do what he believes is best for the country who employs him.
And if England were to go one better and win Euro 2011 after the heartbreak of losing in the final of the same competition two years ago, then the stance Pearce is preparing to make will be remembered as a truly important and significant turning point.
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