England squad: Three big winners and three big losers
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Updated 17/03/2017 at 08:55 GMT
Gareth Southgate has named his England squad to face Lithuania and Germany and there were a number of surprise decisions. We look at the winners and losers from the latest England squad selection.
Theo Walcott, Gareth Southgate, Luke Shaw
Image credit: Eurosport
Winners
Jermain Defoe
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Sunderland's Jermain Defoe
Image credit: Reuters
At 34, the striker probably assumed his international career was over but a spate of injuries to Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge – combined with Danny Welbeck’s still fragile fitness – mean Defoe has been handed an unlikely recall. It is now four years since he scored the last of his 19 goals for England – against San Marino in a World Cup qualifier which ended 8-0 – and even Southgate says he is unsure that Defoe is a realistic option for the World Cup in Russia next summer. But in light of his 14 goals this season, and the absences Southgate is dealing with, Defoe deserves this chance.
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Southgate explains Defoe's return to England squad
What Southgate said:
Year after year he's phenomenal, but this year in particular, in a team that aren't creating as many chances as other teams, his strike rate is outstanding. I didn't want to just look at his age and think he's finished with England. He's somebody that is immensely proud to have represented England at every age group. I think you get young players with a point to prove and older players with a point to prove.
James Ward-Prowse
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Leicester City's English midfielder Danny Drinkwater (R) reacts as Southampton's English midfielder James Ward-Prowse
Image credit: AFP
The Southampton midfielder has been a mainstay of the Under-21 team for years, making 27 appearances and being a reliable performer for Southgate in the past. Southampton team-mate Nathan Redmond has also been included for the first time and while there is strong competition for midfield places, Ward-Prowse has the ability, particularly with his set-piece prowess, to make an impact for Southgate at senior level too.
What Southgate said:
They’re players I’ve worked with before, and they are in excellent form. They performed very well under the pressure of the [Capital One Cup] final for Southampton. We are aiming for those guys to play for the U21s at the Euros this summer, but we didn’t want to hold them back. They deserve the opportunity and want to see how they get on in the senior environment.
Luke Shaw
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Luke Shaw
Image credit: Reuters
The Manchester United defender has had a horrid season, starting just one Premier League game since the end of October as he has failed to convince Jose Mourinho of his quality. But Thursday’s call-up underlines that England, and Southgate, remain confident that Shaw is a player worth investing time and effort in. Ryan Bertrand may yet start against Lithuania and Germany, but Shaw will be relieved to have made the squad.
What Southgate said:
We've a lot of belief in him. I think it's a good moment to give him that boost that we're still thinking about him.
Losers
Theo Walcott
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Theo Walcott celebrates scoring Arsenal's first goal against Bayern
Image credit: Reuters
The forward is enjoying his best season in quite some time for Arsenal and has amassed 17 goals in all competitions, including three in his past four appearances, which makes it strange indeed that Southgate has dropped him. Walcott played for England as recently as November, in a friendly draw against Spain, and it does not bode well for his future chances under Southgate that he has been axed at a time when his form at club level is well above par.
What Southgate said:
I didn't see him playing in the Germany match. That's a really tough call on him, one I don't expect him to be chuffed to bits about, but I wanted to look at a couple of others. He's still very much in our plans, and can force his way back.
Jack Wilshere
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Bournemouth midfielder Jack Wilshere
Image credit: AFP
Another former Arsenal wonderkid whose international career has stalled, Wilshere returned to the international fold for the November fixtures against Scotland and Spain in a sign that his loan move to Bournemouth was paying off. But he has been benched by Eddie Howe in the club’s past two matches as Bournemouth have switched to 4-4-2, with some success, and has now lost his place at international level too. West Brom’s Jake Livermore is included at the expense of a player who was once hailed as a future England captain by Fabio Capello.
Andy Carroll
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Andy Carroll celebrates scoring for West Ham against Southampton
Image credit: Reuters
If Carroll can’t earn an England recall under these conditions, then it is perhaps fair to assume he never will. Southgate was assailed by injuries to key strikers and yet opted to bring back Defoe and pull Marcus Rashford out of the Under-21s rather than call up a player who has four goals in six games for West Ham and scored the goal of the month with his astonishing volley against Crystal Palace in January.
What Southgate said:
Carroll and Welbeck have not played enough. Welbeck is a player I really like.
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