Raheem Sterling, Jake Livermore and Adam Lallana have all been called up for England's World Cup Qualifier v Ukraine. Is this Hodgson planning for the future?
Roy Hodgson has called up Raheem Sterling, Jake Livermore and Adam Lallana to replace Theo Walcott and Daniel Sturridge who have withdrawn from the
England squad for the match against
Ukraine on
11th September 2012.
Hodgson has stayed with his policy to use the young English talent coming through when choosing players for his
England squad. The squad for the
Ukraine match is listed below:
Goalkeepers:
Hart (25); Ruddy (25); Butland (19)
Defenders:
Johnson (28); Baines (27); Lescott (30); Walker (22); Bertrand (23); Cahill (26); Jagielka (30)
Midfielders:
Gerrard (32); Milner (26); Lampard (34); Cleverley (23); Oxlade-Chamberlain (19); Carrick(31); Livermore (22); Sterling (17)
Forwards:
Defoe (29); Welbeck (21); Lallana (24)
Players In Squad 25 and Under
10 of the 21 players selected in the squad are under the age of 25, with an average squad age of 25.38. This helps show how Hodgson is looking to bring younger players through into the squad, this along with these three selections. With all players below 25 with Lallana the oldest and also uncapped at the age of 24.
This does show how
Roy plans to overhaul the squad with the new exciting talent pushing through and there is plenty of it. Though in the current squad only Walker and Bertrand are defenders selected under 25. Though with the likes of Stephen Caulker, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Martin Kelly and Kieran Gibbs have all being included in England squads in the past, showing the depth in these positions, and that Roy Hodgson wants to keep his back lines with some experience. The midfield also looks bright going forward with the likes of Jack Rodwell, Jack Wilshire and Jordan Henderson around the squad in recent times, with Theo Walcott, Ashley Young and Adam Johnson all pulling out of the recent squad.
Below is a list of players, under 25, that have either been involved with the full national or the under 21 set-up in recent times and could look to push for a place on the plane to
Brazil in two years time. Many will be looking to push through this season and emulate the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott by being picked when not even cementing a place in their club team's starting XI.
Other potential under 25 inclusions for 2014 World-Cup:
Danny Rose (22); Adam Smith (21); Nathaniel Clyne (21); Stephen Caulker (20); Kieran Gibbs (22); Martin Kelly (20); Chris Smalling (22); Phil Jones (20); Michah Richards (24); Jack Rodwell (21); Jordan Henderson (22); Jack Wilshire(20); Theo Walcott (23); Adam Johnson (24); Tom Ince (20); Wilfried Zaha (19); Josh McEachran (19); Daniel Sturridge (22); Andy Carroll (23); Frazier Campbell (24); Gabby Agbonlahor (25); Connar Wickham (19); Harry Kane (19); Will Keane (19)
Players Currently in Under 21's Squad
The choice to call-up Sterling, Lallana and Livermore will give some of these above players hope that they can make the break-through into the full international set-up. Especially for Adam Lallana.
Lallana has only been owned by Southampton after coming through their youth academy, with his first competitive appearance in the 2006/07 season. He went off to Bournemouth on loan 2007/08 with 11 league appearances at this point scoring just the one goal. After this he broke into the Southampton first team and has been apart of their rise to the Premier League, with this is primary season in England's top division. With him managing a professional total of 47 goals in 200 games in all competitions, all in England's lower divisions.
So Lallana has been called up with just 3 Premier League appearances and has been brought in to potentially fill an attacking midfield role. Though it could very well be for him to gain experience around the national side and how the international players work during these breaks in league matches, the same could be thought of Jake Livermore.
Livermore made his first International appearance in the 2-1 against Italy in August and the recent call up could mean more caps coming in the near future, he isn't so much of a shock as he has had the most Premier League experience. He has been brought through into the Premier League set-up very carefully and has been nurtured by Tottenham and thought of very highly by former manager Harry Redknapp.
After turning pro in 2008 he has been on loan at no less than 6 lower league clubs, including MK Dons,
Derby and
Peterborough. While last season playing 24 Premier League and 38 competitive matches in total including all 8 in the Europa League. This season
Livermore has started all 3 league games for Tottenham and is one of the many young players at the club that
AVB will look to bring through.
So it's a mix-up between Adam Lallana and Raheem Sterling.
Sterling at the tender age of 17 has already been at 3 Professional clubs, though only having a professional contract with
Liverpool.
Sterling is actually a Jamaican national and this is where the call up and a potential cameo aren't so surprising.
Sterling lived in
Jamaica until his was 5, when he came over the
Atlantic to
London. Where West Ham picked him up as a youth player in 2003. From here he moved to Queens Park Rangers where he stayed until 2010, when he made a move to
Liverpool for £600,000, a fee which could move to £5 million depending on appearances. He made 3 league appearances last term and a further 2 this year as he looks to establish himself in the
Liverpool first eleven and is doing so with some style. If Raheem Sterling makes an appearance for the English National side versus
Ukraine it will mean that he is ineligible to play for any other team, for Raheem this would mean
Jamaica.
Nadine, Raheem's mother, has made no bones about the fact that she would like to see him represent the Jamaican national side, despite her son turning out in the red and white of
England at Under 16 and Under 17 level. Speaking about the matter, the 17 year old from
Kingston said, "When it comes to that decision, that is when I will decide but if
Jamaica calls for me, why not?". Potentially forcing Roy Hodgson's hand into selecting him sooner rather than later and securing him as an
England player for the future and what a bright future this lad looks to have.
Roy is thinking way into the future potentially beyond the World Cup in
Brazil in 2014. He is ready to shape a team outside of his conventional
4-4-2 formation and into the more dynamic 4-2-3-1 formation that
England played in against
Moldova and throughout the European Championships. A team which is dynamic and exciting to watch.
Below are what the ages of the current squad will be at the next Championships:
Goalkeepers:
Hart (27); Ruddy (27); Butland (21)
Defenders:
Johnson (30); Baines (29); Lescott (32); Walker (24); Bertrand (25); Cahill (28); Jagielka (32)
Midfielders:
Gerrard (34); Milner (28); Lampard (36); Cleverley (25); Oxlade-Chamberlain (21); Carrick(32); Livermore (24); Sterling (19)
Forwards:
Defoe (31); Welbeck (23); Lallana (26)
Now with the players under 25 in
Red it shows how the squad should evolve. With the likes of Lescott, Johnson, Jagielka, Gerrard, Lampard, Carrick and Defoe to make way for the youth pushing through. If they do make the World Cup in Brazil it is highly unlikely that they will represent England at the next European Championships.
This shows exciting times to be an England fan, with Roy Hodgson and his revolution is charge England fans can look at a bright future looking at fantastic young English talent pushing through to be the next stars in the world.
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