Stewart Downing has revealed it became a 'chore' for England's stars to turn out at Wembley.
Boro winger says players feared Wembley outings
Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing has revealed it became a 'chore' for England's stars to turn out at Wembley while the team were struggling to qualify for Euro 2008.
England suffered an up and down qualifying campaign in their efforts to reach Austria and Switzerland, attempts that ended in failure following their surprise 3-2 home defeat to Croatia.
Several below-par outings led to widespread booing for England's stars, treatment Downing claims put players off the prospect of turning out for their country.
"It was a bit of a chore," he told the
Daily Mirror.
What's the point?
"People were thinking, 'What is the point in me going down there and playing for England, I am only going to get booed'.
"But you think, 'Why let those people stop you doing what you want? And that is play for England'. They can boo all they want but if I get picked for England I must be doing something right."
However, England have been back to their best under new head coach Fabio Capello and Downing says things have turned full circle since the arrival of the Italian.
"It is better now, and the fans are starting to be with us. Especially after Croatia," he continued.
"The message to any fan who boos is: 'What are you doing? It is not helping your team one bit'. It is not like we are trying to play badly. Get behind us."
