Former Switzerland international Kubilay Turkyilmaz has slammed Liverpool star Xherdan Shaqiri for refusing to play for his national side.

Shaqiri has made himself unavailable for Switzerland’s upcoming European Championship qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar.  

 



There are suggestions that the winger wants to be given the captain’s armband by his national team, but Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic has not bowed down to that request.

The winger has communicated to the national team that for the moment he wants to focus on Liverpool, but Turkyilmaz stressed that it is a laughable excuse.
 

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He feels the whole affair with the captaincy is childish and anyone playing for their country must feel proud to do so.



He also pointed out that any game time Shaqiri gets now would have been more useful as he is not getting regular minutes under his belt at Liverpool.

The former Swiss forward wrote in Swiss daily Blick: “What is going on with Xherdan Shaqiri and the captain’s arm band is kindergarten stuff.
 

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“According to the message: if I do not get what I want, then I won’t play.

“Every player who plays in the national team should feel like a captain because he is being allowed to represent his country.

“Shaq saying now that he wants to focus on his club is a bad joke.

“You can say that, if you are getting chances to play. But is he?

“Every game he plays with the national team will be more helpful for him and Liverpool than sitting on the bench and grandstanding.”

Shaqiri has 80 caps to his name for Switzerland and has netted 22 international goals. He is struggling for game time at Anfield.