England boss Roy Hodgson names his squad to face Denmark today. Here are ten players who are deserving of a call-up – or could yet prove their worth before the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal)
With England stalwart Ashley Cole having been dropped by Chelsea, there may be a vacancy at left back for Roy Hodgson to consider.
Leighton Baines is thought to be the heir apparent to Cole, with Southampton’s Luke Shaw next in line, but Kieran Gibbs has been immense this season for Arsenal, fighting off the challenge of Spain star Nacho Monreal to make the left back slot at Emirates Stadium his own, and perhaps the place should not go to Baines by mere default.
Gibbs has become impressively solid at the back, and while he has improved exponentially in terms of positioning thanks to work from Gunners assistant boss Steve Bould, the 24 year-old’s lightning pace enables him to cover when opposition attackers do occasionally time their runs to perfection.
Gibbs also gets forward brilliantly, offering the Gunners width when their attacking midfielders combine through the centre, and has been consistent in his excellence throughout.
Had injuries not held him back for much of his short career so far, Gibbs could well already be England’s first choice left back.
Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton)
Nathaniel Clyne has been fighting with the 19 year-old Callum Chambers for the first choice right back slot at Southampton, and his superior attacking threat has helped him claim the position when fit.
In Clyne’s 21 club appearances so far this term he has provided four assists – all in the Premier League.
The only defenders to have set up more goals in the English top flight are Manchester City’s relentlessly attacking full backs Pablo Zabaleta and Aleksandar Kolarov with five each.
He is not bad at the back either, with Southampton allowing the least shots on goal in the Premier League.
Jon Flanagan (Liverpool)
Jon Flanagan has been one of the surprises of the season.
The 21 year-old has taken advantage of injury suffered by Anfield team-mates Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique and uselessness of Aly Cissokho to stake a claim for a place in the Liverpool back line.
Flanagan has made an average of 3.2 tackles, 1.4 interceptions and 3.4 clearances per Premier League game this season, and has greatly impressed Brendan Rodgers.
“Jon has that potential,” Rodgers said to the Liverpool Echo upon helping the Reds defeat Arsenal 5-1 earlier this month.
“He has all the qualities to play in that position for England.
“For a young player like Jon to be producing the performances he has done takes some doing.
“The quality he’s playing at, especially in big games, has been outstanding. The key for Jon is making sure he doesn’t think he has cracked it which he has probably learned from last time.
“He has now taken his opportunity and we see that hunger. I have been pleasantly surprised by how tactically good he is.
“He was up against (Santi) Cazorla at the weekend – a player who jumps inside and we asked Jon to make sure he went inside at the right moments.
“If he can play at that level here in those types of games then he can do it at international level for sure.”
John Stones (Everton)
Only Chelsea and Arsenal have lost fewer games than Everton this season, and only the Blues have conceded fewer goals – statistics that put a mockery to suggestions that Roberto Martinez’s Toffees defence would leak goals like his Wigan Athletic side.
Since making his first start of the season in January, John Stones (inventor of the Paint Trophy) has quietly shone at the back.
The 19 year-old has had one poor game – when deployed at right back in Everton’s all round disastrous team display in their 4-0 Merseyside derby loss at the hands of arch rivals Liverpool – but has otherwise remained unbeaten in his ten Premier League appearances, and has greatly impressed Martinez.
“I think we’re going to see something special in John Stones’ career,” said the Goodison Park boss.
“He has played right-back many times for the Under-21s but centre-half is his natural position.
John Stones has got everything to be a good, modern centre-half.
He is good on the ball, is good in the air, he can read the game exceptionally well, but more importantly he has a leader inside of him and I think he will be one of the best centre-halves in the English game.”
Fabian Delph (Aston Villa)
Fabian Delph has been one of the leading lights for Aston Villa this season, stepping up as many of his team-mates have floundered in a difficult campaign for Paul Lambert’s men.
The 24 year-old is one of the top tacklers in the Premier League, making 3.1 successful challenges per game and driving his team forward with powerful runs and quick passes.
Delph is finally delivering on the immense promise he showed when a youngster at Leeds United, and has chipped in with sensational strikes against both Southampton and Aston Villa to help Villa to crucial victories.
Jack Cork (Southampton)
Despite the narcolepsy inducing football played over the last decade, England possess exciting young prospects in most positions, and the future remains bright.
Still, defensive midfield remains an area in which England are not blessed with talent, and there could be an opening for Southampton’s Jack Cork.
Fighting for a place in the anchor position alongside the excellent Morgan Schneiderlin with the immensely physical Victor Wanyama, Cork represents a more cultured option.
The 24 year-old breaks up play impressively, joining in Saints’ high press to make 2.3 tackles per Premier League appearance, and completes 86.4% of his 45.7 passes per game.
Adam Lallana’s seamless transition to international football with England ought to give former U21 international Cork hope that he too can make the grade.
Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
Raheem Sterling made an encouraging start to his Liverpool career last term, breaking into the Reds first team in August 2012 at the age of 17, and earning a first England cap in November.
A nosedive in form and a ruptured thigh muscle curtailed his debut campaign, and the time out of the limelight helped Sterling realise the value in readjusting his focus on football and working to win back his place.
Although Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers had previously utilised a 3-5-2 shape to allow him to select both Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez up front without being outnumbered in midfield, Sterling was soon to get his chance.
A torn ankle ligament injury suffered by Sturridge at the end of November 2013 gave the 19 year-old Sterling another opportunity to prove his worth.
With five goals and three assists this season, it is fair to say he has taken it with both hands – forcing Rodgers to adapt his formation upon Sturridge’s return to accommodate both his England attackers.
“Raheem was incredible,” beamed Brendan Rodgers after Sterling helped the Reds annihilate Arsenal 5-1 at Anfield at the beginning of February.
“He has just turned 19 and I don’t think there is a better winger in England at this moment in time.”
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal)
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was sidelined by a cruciate knee ligament injury on the opening day of the season, compounding the anxiety felt by Arsenal fans during a nightmare game against Aston Villa.
As a result, the last time he played for England was in the August 2013 friendly against Scotland at Wembley.
The desperately unlucky ruptured anterior cruciate knee injury also suffered by Gunners team-mate Theo Walcott, and his brilliant own form since returning for Arsenal means Oxlade-Chamberlain deserves another chance to impress for the Three Lions too.
Although only able to play ten Arsenal matches this season, the 20 year-old has scored three goals and provided three assists already.
The upshot of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s injury is that he ought to be fresh for the summer tournament in Brazil to add to his tally of thirteen caps and three goals.
Thomas Ince (Crystal Palace – on loan from Blackpool)
Tom Ince has only played two Premier League games since moving from Blackpool to Crystal Palace in January on loan, but has already shown he is capable of making the step up to the top flight with a goal and assist on his debut against West Bromwich Albion.
Ince had previously proved a great goal threat and creative player in his time in the Sky Bet Championship, scoring seven times and providing six assists in his 23 matches, and his clear effectiveness in the final third could make him an intriguing wild card option for the summer.
The cautious Roy Hodgson is unlikely to gamble on an uncapped player for a major tournament, unlike his reckless predecessor Sven Goran Eriksson did with Theo Walcott in 2006, and Ince will need to win a place in the squads in England’s remaining friendlies against Denmark, Peru, Ecuador and Honduras if he is stand a chance of making the 23 players to go to Brazil.
Jay Rodriguez (Southampton)
First impressions are hugely important, and many pundits wrote off Jay Rodriguez after an underwhelming debut for England in November.
Despite the disappointment of a quiet first international appearance however, Rodriguez bounced back strongly, scoring five times and providing an assist in his next seven matches.
The ridiculously prolific Liverpool forward Daniel Sturridge is the only Englishman to have scored more in the last three months, and is also the only English player to have scored more Premier League goals than Rodriguez this season.
The Southampton star deserves another chance to impress Roy Hodgson.