Uncapped 11: Best players never to feature internationally

For some players, the national team is a bygone dream. The likes of Mikel Arteta and Steve Bruce never had the honour of representing Spain and England, respectively, despite winning trophies at club level. But time is still on the side of these 11 players, who, for one reason or another, have yet to turn out for their countries.

For the purposes of this article, only active players were considered.

GK: Ederson

It's only a matter of time before Ederson becomes Brazil's new No. 1. If he progresses under Pep Guardiola at Manchester, the 24-year-old will have no problems displacing the likes of Alisson and Diego Alves between the posts.

CB: Loic Perrin

One of the few active one-club men in world football, Saint-Etienne captain Loic Perrin received call-ups to the French national team but sat on the bench in every instance. Now 32 years old, the likelihood of a first cap is slim.

CB: Aymeric Laporte

Eligible to play for both Spain and France, Aymeric Laporte has made it clear Les Bleus are his priority. Playing for France has been his dream since childhood. He could, however, still switch his allegiances to his ancestral Spain if Didier Deschamps continues to deny the 23-year-old a spot in his starting lineup.

CB: Lucas Hernandez

If Laporte faces a tough battle to strong-arm his way into the French setup, then it's no easier for Atletico Madrid defender Lucas Hernandez. Although he has courted reported interest from the likes of Manchester City and Barcelona, he has started just 21 league matches in his career. With more than a dozen defenders ahead of him, Hernandez will likely have to wait a while for his chance at the international level.

RWB: Michail Antonio

Michail Antonio also earned a call-up to the English national team, but sat through his three experiences with the Three Lions. When Gareth Southgate recalled the former non-league player in March, Antonio had to withdraw due to injury. Luck hasn't been with the 27-year-old, but considering his importance to West Ham and his versatility as a player, he's sure to get another crack.

CM: Gabi

There's a generation of Spanish footballers who've been denied the honour of playing for their country. Gabi is among those unfortunate souls. A tough-tackling pivot who has come to exemplify Diego Simeone's fighting spirit, Gabi has only watched as Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque picked other midfielders ahead of him.

CM: Steven N'Zonzi

It took a move to Spain for Steven N'Zonzi to realise his potential as a vigorous midfielder, but the time has yet to come for international appreciation. He turned down an invitation from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2012 in hopes of a nod from France, where he played his youth football. Unfortunately for him, N'Zonzi's gamble may not pay off - not with the likes of Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, and Thomas Lemar in the way.

LWB: Marcos Alonso

Much like N'Zonzi, Marco Alonso has enjoyed a renaissance in the second half of his career. Although he emerged as one of Chelsea's protagonists last season, Alonso has yet to be recognised by Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui.

RF: Suso

Suso has found his groove at AC Milan after failing to convince Liverpool of his qualities. He's now a starter for the Rossoneri and a regular threat on the right flank, and, at just 23 years old, time's on his side. He would've already played for La Roja earlier this year had an injury not scuppered that chance.

CF: Anthony Modeste

A move to China may discourage Deschamps from taking a punt on Anthony Modeste, who joined Tianjin Quanjian from FC Koln this summer. But if he continues to score as he did for the German club last season - and he scored a tonne - he could make an argument for a late-career call-up to the French national team.

LF: Alex Teixeira

Remember Alex Teixeira? Once the object of Liverpool's desire, the Brazilian attacker lost all the buzz around him once he departed for China. Had he moved to the Premier League, Teixeira may have played for his native Brazil by now.

Bench:

Fahrmann, Theo Hernandez, Tonelli, Milinkovic-Savic, Allan, Berardi, Ben Yedder