It is an intervention that many under-performing stars hope to benefit from, and it could yet influence Euro 2016. Back before Euro '96, Alan Shearer had been scoring plenty of goals for Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, but he hadn't hit the net for England in 11 matches, which prompted a lot of debate about his role. Manager Terry Venables, however, was unwilling to engage with any of it -- not for a player as talented as this. He sat Shearer down before the tournament and directly told him: "You'll be starting."
"I always remember the belief and confidence that gave me," the former striker said in 2009.