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A latecomer to the international game, Trevor Sinclair had enough pace and wideman instincts to persuade Sven Goran Eriksson that he was worth a look as he tried to fill the continually problematic left-sided position after qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. Sinclair was naturally right-sided for his club, West Ham United, but was in possession of a good enough left foot to be given a go, and he responded well in a debut against Sweden at Old Trafford in 2001, given an ovation when he was substituted in the second half. Just five games remained before Eriksson had to name his squad for Japan and South Korea, and Sinclair made a late and sincerely impressive push to be given a slot. He featured in friendlies against Italy and Paraguay, though didn't manage 90 minutes in either, but the slow healing of skipper David Beckham's broken foot made him an ideal candidate to cover down the right flank if required.
Trevor featured in the acclimatisation friendlies against South Korea and Cameroon but his preparation after finally netting a squad place was turned upside down by the injury situation of other players (Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Danny Murphy, Kieron Dyer) and he made long air trips to, from and then to the Far East again before finally settling down with the squad and getting in the team earlier than expected. Injury to Owen Hargreaves early on in the second group game against Argentina in Sapporo gave Sinclair a chance down the flank - wearing Gerrard's number four shirt - and he responded superbly, realising that his chance at the top had come at the ripe age of 29 and he was going to make the best of it. He frequently tore his full back in half, cut in to take potshots and generally staked a strong claim to be in the team from the off, and when England sealed their 1-0 win, Eriksson agreed.
Trevor started against Nigeria for the goalless draw which took England through to the knockout stages, and he played superbly down the left as England then destroyed Denmark 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals. The lack of invention and, from Sinclair's point of view, lack of preparation caught up with him in the quarter-finals and he didn't have a good game as Brazil went 2-1 up. He was replaced by Dyer but England couldn't respond, even against ten men, and the World Cup ended. Trevor came home not so much a hero, but certainly a pleased player, having gone so far so quickly in the international game. Eriksson, however, bore in mind his age and gradually removed him from the set-up over the next 12 months. He didn't feature in any of the qualifiers for the 2004 European Championships and managed just three more caps (the photo above is during the 1-1 draw against Portugal), all in friendlies, before age, injury and the form of Joe Cole ended his time in the England reckoning. A short England career, but nobody of his generation played at a higher level in the end, and he will be talked about as a real success of what was otherwise an anticlimactic World Cup campaign. (Matthew Rudd)
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