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Perhaps it was because he was Graham Taylor's preferred choice to fans and media darling Chris Waddle that the incisive and ball playing winger Andy Sinton got little slack cut his way during his brief sojourn into the international arena. Immediately after Taylor had recalled Waddle from a year's exile for a European Championship qualifier against Turkey in 1991, he dropped him again and gave a debut to QPR wideman Sinton instead, who was baptised fierily by the England coach as England scraped a 1-1 draw in Poland to secure their place in the finals. Sinton, who had only a fraction of Waddle's footwork and capacity to bemuse full backs, but was infinitely more industrious and team-based than his illustrious rival, stayed in Taylor's plans as the finals loomed, while Waddle was never asked back, despite being in the form of his life at Marseille.
Andy featured in three of the six warm-up games of 1992, rarely putting a foot wrong, and was unsurprisingly given a place in the squad, although Taylor's gamble that John Barnes would provide much-needed experience from the flank was foiled by the latter's late, late achilles injury which ruled him out. Such was the fiasco over Taylor's defensive personnel which followed, as full back after full back dropped out through injury, that Sinton bizzarely ended up covering at right back as England looked disorganised and lacking seriously in real quality in their performers. Sinton played twice in the finals as England struggled through two goalless draws and then lost to host nation Sweden (the photo above is during the game) to go out, but the ongoing concerns over the shoo-in Barnes' fitness meant he was given a stay of execution.
Other candidates for the wide left slot emerged, with Tony Daley looking out of his depth and the more promising Lee Sharpe pitched in too young, so Sinton held the flank together through a chunk of 1993, playing in World Cup qualifiers against Turkey (a 2-0 win) and the infamous defeat in Rotterdam against Holland, with Andy playing his career's most famous pass to David Platt, who was felled by Ronald Koeman in the most controversial moment of Taylor's reign. Koeman escaped what seemed a surefire red card and, to rub salt in the wound, immediately scored at the other end. Sinton, perhaps aware that his England time was nearing its end, won his 12th and final cap in the 7-1 non-event against San Marino before Terry Venables removed him from the England set-up as part of a massive clearout.
Sinton was a form player at club level when Taylor picked him and therefore deserved his chance, but he proved ultimately to be a scapegoat player for Waddle and a stopgap for Barnes, without ever being allowed the chance to step forth and stake a real claim to be England's top left winger. One of the unluckier England careers. (Matthew Rudd)
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