There’s something about Jason . . .
“I know that I need to be linking up with the Welsh squad a lot more. I've missed quite a few squads and I realise that's something I can no longer afford to do. People have questioned my commitment and I understand that, but I can assure you I am 100 per cent determined to be part of this - I always have been. Personal reasons, which I would rather not go into, genuinely have prevented me turning up for some squads.”
- May 24, 2003 (Jason Koumas, speaking before the USA v Wales international)
“I probably deserve some stick from certain quarters for not turning up for Wales and I'd be the first to admit that and I do understand the criticism. Believe me I'd love to go away for 10 days or so and be part of the Welsh squad. I have explained in every detail the personal problems that I have. I cannot go into the details, but I explained them to Toshack and he is fine about them.”
- May 19, 2006 (Jason Koumas, speaking ahead of the Basque Country v Wales international)
There used to be only two things you could rely on in life - death and taxes. Now you can add a third to that equation – Jason Koumas pulling out of a Wales get together.
Compare the two quotes above, made almost three years to the day apart. Then look at how many appearances Koumas has made for the Welsh national team. A paltry 17 caps since he made his debut away against Ukraine in 2001.
Despite protestations to the contrary you can only assume that Koumas is either not fully committed to the Welsh cause or those catch-all, unexplained personal problems he has regularly trotted out to excuse himself from international duty still remain.
But let’s be fair, it’s not just personal problems Koumas has used to pardon himself over the years. His cry offs have at times read like an imaginatively assembled list of fantasy football excuses - some obviously more believable than others.
He’s suffered a litany of 'injuries' that have appeared while selected for Wales, but that have seen him play for his club mere days later, added to these more infrequent but nevertheless eyebrow-raising incidents:
- the time his friend died and he said wasn’t right mentally to play
- the occasion when he was moving house and couldn’t appear
- best of all, when fertilizer sprayed on a football pitch got into his eye and caused an infection
It’s either been his head or his body that hasn’t been right, which makes you wonder whether all the stars have to be aligned for Koumas to grace the Wales team with his presence. A sight as rare as the appearance of Halle’s Comet, and almost as frequent.
Such is the aura of mystery that has surrounded his no shows, the excuses have quickly become folklore, urban myths stored for posterity and embellished to the nth degree.
Take this list of Koumas tales found after a quick trawl through cyberspace.
’Koumas pulled out of one Wales squad because he discovered an old air raid shelter buried in his garden and wanted to spend the weekend digging it out!’
‘Didn’t he pull out of a squad because his dog died?’
‘I seem to remember on one occasion he pulled out with a sore eye or something.’
‘And didn’t he turn up late for one game because he couldnt get a lift! Poor soul couldn’t afford a taxi on his meagre wages.’
While there is no doubting Koumas’ mercurial talent, his propensity to make life difficult for himself - on both the club and international scene - threatens to ruin what wonderful ability he possesses.
If he wants to be a vital part of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, he has to not only demonstrate he deserves the right to be picked in Toshack’s team, but show the fans his passion for the red shirt.
Anything less and JK will soon find himself consigned to the annals of footballing history as just another wasted talent. A player that had it all, but threw it away.
And who wants that burden to have to carry long after their playing days are gone.