Gabby Agbonlahor: I caused an England Under-21 storm by going AWOL with trip to Dubai – but it wasn’t my fault

Gabby Agbonlahor once caused a storm after failing to turn up for an England Under-21s tournament, but insists it wasn’t his fault.

The former Aston Villa striker was 19-years-old at the time and had played his first full season for the club under boss Martin O’Neill.

After impressing for the Midlands club in the 2006/07 season, Agbonlahor was called up by boss Stuart Pearce for the U21 European Championship in the Netherlands.

Agbonlahor was named in Pearce's initial 30-man party but missed a pre-tournament training camp in Spain, eventually losing his place to Everton's James Vaughan.

“Martin O'Neill had agreed with me that I had played 40-something games and didn’t want me to go to the tournament. He said 'I want you to rest and have a holiday',” Agbonlahor told talkSPORT.

“But he didn't tell Stuart Pearce and the Under-21’s.

“So I went to Dubai with my girlfriend at the time and I’m getting messages from friends saying ‘you’re on Sky Sports News, breaking news saying Gabby’s gone AWOL.’

“I was like, ‘what do you mean AWOL? The gaffer said I didn’t have to go to the Under-21s tournament’. At that time there were better strikers that were going to play in front of me. So it was a bit of miscommunication."

Agbonlahor revealed his dismay upon returning from his holiday as the gravity of missing the prestigious tournament began to quickly sink in, but the former striker still insists it wasn’t his fault.

“I came home and there were cars, the cameras were by the house and it was just a bit of miscommunication between Martin O'Neill and England so it's not my fault," Agbonlahor added.

“I was just taking a break after a long hard season.

“I didn't get any notifications [from the FA]. Club and country they talk to each other, I was