Has the lucrative Premier League killed the international game

As a life long Spurs fan, I always feel proud when any of our players get an England call-up. When I first heard that Tottenham central defender Ledley King had been given the nod by Cappello I really was delighted for a fantastic player who has fought hard against physical limitations with his knee injury and delivered great appearances this season alongside Jonathan Woodgate. This call-up then created a bit of a mess, with King leaving training after a rant from Spurs boss Harry Redknapp. This was possibly a reaction aimed at chairman Daniel Levy who the FA allegedly approached for permission for King to train. Now, this one is tricky because of the player's physical condition but even as a Spurs fan I fail to see what the club's form has to do with him representing his country. I think that if Cappello is demanding that he is available for these matches that he is well within his rights and also operating correctly in his role as England manager. The moment he bows down to Premier League managers whinging about their key players are being over played is the moment when our international game truly dies.

Alex Ferguson clearly has no interest in England's progress in European Championship tournaments or World Cups. His attitude to it is a reflection of what is at stake in the modern game, but has how has this affected our national team's chances of winning anything?