George Wood still vividly remembered the words his mother told him when he was chosen to be a member of the England national team competing in the World Cup. It felt like he had only just heard those words the day before. In truth, four years had gone by since then. 

Back then, he could only watch as others competed on the pitch. He sat on the bench for five matches and did not get a single minute of game time. Four years later, he was well aware of the fact that there were many media outlets expressing their desire to see him start in the World Cup matches. 

Wood was once a player the previous manager did not think highly of. Ever since Capello took over, he had managed to earn the favor of the tough Italian manager through his professionalism and willingness to work hard without complaints. 

England's midfield defense would become significantly better whenever Wood played on the pitch. The opponents would only run into an iron plate if they tried to go down the middle. 

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