Neil Ruddock was a supremely gifted young footballing centre half when he made his way through the Millwall academy, and much was predicted for him when he joined Tottenham Hotspur at an early age before making any League appearances. The long England career expected of him never materialised, however, largely due to an unsettling period of flitting between clubs which included a return to Millwall, a spell at Southampton where he was constantly trying not to be relegated, and then a return to Tottenham for a further season.
However, at the age of 25, he joined Liverpool for £2.5 million and finally began to establish his name, and Terry Venables used him, in the absence of numerous other defenders, in a 1-0 friendly win over Nigeria at Wembley (the photos above taken during the game). Ruddock performed, but was not seen as any kind of reliable, long-term option - he had injury and discipline issues - and he was never asked back. However, at least the international career predicted for him when he was 18 eventually arrived, even if it was much later and much briefer than anticipated. (Matthew Rudd) |