‘I was an IDIOT’: Chris Sutton reveals his shame after snubbing an England call-up and confronting Glenn Hoddle, as he reflects on his Three Lions axing on Mail Sport’s ‘It’s All Kicking Off’
- Chris Sutton furiously turned down the chance to play for the England B side
- In a telephone conversation with Glenn Hoddle he was told his Three Lions days were over
- Listen to the latest episode of the Mail Sport podcast ‘It all begins’
Chris Sutton has laid bare his sense of shame after turning down the chance to play for the England B team, a move that ended his Three Lions career prematurely.
Mailsport Columnist Sutton’s international days were halted prematurely after just over 10 minutes in 1998, following his decision to withdraw from the reserve side.
Furious at being overlooked for the seniors, Sutton withdrew from the match against Chile B and informed manager Glenn Hoddle during a heated telephone conversation.
However, the nature of his conversation with Hoddle – which Sutton now admits questioned his authority – ensured the striker was never selected again.
Speaking about the latest episode of Mailsport‘s podcast “It’s All Kicking Off,” Sutton admitted that the way he handled the setback is still a major regret.
Chris Sutton has reflected painfully on the move that ended his England career
Sutton played just over 10 minutes for the Three Lions in his first and only appearance
Mailsport columnist Sutton felt that his form at Blackburn had earned a senior call-up
“What I should have done is proved him wrong,” Sutton told football editor Ian Ladyman. ‘What I did is… I had the decency to call Glenn Hoddle and tell him where to send his England B team. I thought I was being wronged.
“I thought my thought process at the time was good because I was playing well at Blackburn. I think there were a few injuries in the squad after that since November when I got my cap against Cameroon.
‘The next two months I played well. But I was always pretty fair as a player.
‘I understood pecking orders. Look at that particular time (there were) a lot of good English strikers around, (Alan) Shearer, (Teddy) Sheringham, Ian Wright, Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen.
‘But I played well at this particular moment. I said to him: “I’m not playing for England B.” I thought my reasoning was correct, but my action was completely wrong.
Looking back, I’ve done so many stupid things in my career, but that was the highlight of the moment. My father told me not to do it. Roy Hodgson told me not to do it.
After a heated exchange, Glenn Hoddle expelled Sutton from the international team completely
Sutton later apologized to Hoddle, with whom he had shared expert duties in recent years
‘But I felt strong and I did it. I was an idiot. Can I say that this was not my happiest moment? I shouldn’t have questioned his authority. I worked with Glenn on television and I apologized to him for my actions. That was wrong of me to do that.
“I still think I was right in what I thought, but you can’t question authority like that. He locked me up and said I wouldn’t play for England again.’
Sutton, who had scored fifteen goals that season before dropping out of the B squad, got his first Three Lions appearance in a friendly against Cameroon.
He replaced Paul Scholes after 79 minutes of the 2–0 win.
Hoddle and Sutton had had a stormy relationship, especially after the latter questioned the decision not to select him for a World Cup qualifier against Moldova.