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Darren Bent, Kevin Philips, and Dion Dublin at one time or another were not just consistent but top scoring PL strikers yet failed to be in WC squads

Dion Dublin in 1998 he had great form throughout the season,and finishing joint top scorer in the Premier League with 18 goals with Michael Owen, Glenn Hoddle dropped him from his squad for WC in France. Everyone went on about Hoddle famously dropping Gazza who smashed up the hotel room but the real shock was Dublin's omission imo.

Darren Bent in parts of his career has been a consistent goalscorer. In 2010 season Darren Bent was the only striker from the major European leagues to score more than 20 league goals during the season and not make the plane to South Africa.

According to wiki:
From the top divisions in England, Spain, Italy and Germany, 12 players from World Cup-bound nations broke the 20-goal mark for the campaign but Bent was the only one disappointed.

Kevin Philips was the PL's top scorer in the 1999–2000 season with 30 goals for Sunderland, a tally which won him the European Golden Shoe. Apparently he remains the only Englishman to win the trophy. He played for England but don't was dropped for not scoring despite setting up a couple of goals and was effectively replaced by, erm Heskey

Ok none of these players played in CL I don't think but were all proven scorers from smaller clubs, there are players like on loan like Campbell (yet to play for Arsenal) who are in WC for Costa Rica.

It feels like for the FA certain players are not glamorous or 'sexy' enough to play for England.