The Romford Pele has hit out at snubbed England players taking to social media to complain about being dropped, saying that in his day footballers had to let their on-field performances do the talking
16:33, 16 Jun 2026Updated 16:37, 16 Jun 2026
Parlour
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Parlour says players should let their feet do the talking
Former England star Ray Parlour has hit out at snubbed England players taking to social media to complain about missing out on the Three Lions squad. The Arsenal legend says the likes of Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer should let their football do the talking instead.
The Romford Pele, as he became affectionally known during his career, told The Daily Star that while he understands players being disappointed, ultimately they have to accept that it is up to the manager to choose the right players for him.
Parlour, who played 10 times for England during his career, told the Star: "I didn’t see a point in complaining publicly because the decision had already been made."
Parlour
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Parlour played 10 times for England (Image: GETTY )
"The manager has every right to make that call - it’s his job. Not every player fits every manager’s plans."
Speaking on behalf of Simply Business at the launch of their Best Seat in the House campaign, Parlour explained to the Star that he has experience of being rejected from England, adding that he was especially disappointed to miss out on the 1998 squad.
Explaining how it felt to be snubbed, Parlour said: "I felt I might have deserved an opportunity. I’d played really well that season - probably one of my best seasons.
Ray Parlour
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Ray Parlour was stalwart in the Arsenal midfield (Image: Getty Images Sport)
"I was voted Arsenal Player of the Season, which was a huge achievement considering the players we had at the club at the time: Dennis Bergkamp, Marc Overmars, Nicolas Anelka, Ian Wright and the rest.
"The press were quite supportive and felt I probably should have been involved. Even if I hadn’t started games, just being part of a tournament squad would have been an incredible experience. So yes, it was disappointing, but that’s football."
However, the former Gunner says that he would never have taken to social media to complain had he had it, but let his football do the talking instead.
Parlour
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Parlour admits it was "disappointing" to miss out on the 1998 squad (Image: Getty Images)
He explained: "You have to get your head down and say, 'Okay, I’ll work harder next year and try to prove the manager wrong.'
"You can’t pick yourself. Someone else has to pick you. If they don’t, you’ve got to get on with it. A different manager might come in and put you straight into the team."
While believing that Tuchel was right to pick the players he thought suited his system rather than simply selecting the biggest names, Parlour stressed that high profile snubs could come back to bite the German.
Parlour
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Parlour won the Premier League with Arsenal (Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Parlour said: "Ultimately the manager carries the responsibility. If it works, he’ll get the praise. If it doesn’t, he’ll get the criticism. That’s why everyone should support England and see how things play out.
"If England get knocked out early, people will say he picked the wrong squad. If he wins it, he’ll be called a genius. That’s football."
Parlour predicts England to do well this tournament, but says that everything hinges on our star players staying fit.
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Parlour has gone down as an Arsenal legend, but failed to make an England world cup squad(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
He said: "I think they’ve got to reach the latter stages. They’ve certainly got a squad capable of doing that. A lot depends on key players staying fit. If Harry Kane got injured, for example, England would miss him enormously. The other strikers are good players, but Harry Kane is Harry Kane - he scores goals.
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"Declan Rice is another important player. If he were unavailable, there’d be a big hole in midfield. So you need a bit of luck along the way."
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