6 players hoping for a surprise England call up in March

Time Stamp: February 12, 2022 11:31 AM

england call up

The countdown to the World Cup is on, with England manager Gareth Southgate starting to think about which players call up for his Qatar 2022 squad.

England have a trio of Nations League fixtures to play in the summer, but first they will take on Switzerland and Ivory Coast in a couple of friendlies scheduled for the end of March. Those matches look like an ideal opportunity for Southgate to assess some fresh talent, while some old faces could also re-enter the fray.

Here are six players who will be hoping to receive a call from the England boss next month.

 

6 players hoping for an England call up

 

Dele Alli (Everton)

A move to Everton could be just what Dele needs to get his career back on track. Still just 25, the attacking midfielder has 37 caps for England but last wore the Three Lions back in 2019.

England are not short of players who like to operate in the number 10 position but Dele’s old combination with captain Harry Kane is something Southgate may look to lean on once more. Frank Lampard will be tasked with restoring Dele to his best and Jesse Lingard’s rejuvenation last term, which led to his England recall ahead of the Euros, is an example to follow.

 

Luke Thomas (Leicester City)

Left-back is in danger of becoming a problem position for Southgate again, with Chelsea defender Ben Chilwell out injured and Luke Shaw having badly lost his form this season. Shaw was one of England’s stars last summer, scoring the opening goal in the Euros final against Italy, but he is no longer a guaranteed starter for England given his recent regression.

Reports have indicated Leicester defender Thomas, who has impressed for the Foxes with his versatility, is one of the names in the frame for an England call up next month. The 20-year-old has featured for various England youth teams, receiving a maiden cap for the Under-21s last year, so he will certainly be on Southgate’s radar in the build-up to Qatar.

 

Adam Webster (Brighton)

The centre of defence could also be presenting Southgate with a headache given Harry Maguire, as well as Shaw, has been going through a very difficult campaign at Old Trafford.

Brighton have one of the most resilient defences in the league, with Webster having stepped up his performance levels following the big money sale of Ben White to Arsenal. Webster, now 27, played for England at Under-18 and 19 level and a senior call-up could happen this year. Brighton team-mate Tariq Lamptey may also push for selection but the buccaneering right-back has a huge amount of competition given England’s depth of riches in that spot.

 

Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)

One player who should not be booking a holiday for the March international break is Bowen. The attacker hit his 10th goal of the season in West Ham’s FA Cup win at Kidderminster, helping the Hammers to avoid what would have been one of the competition’s biggest upsets.

Bowen has been nothing short of brilliant for West Ham this term, scoring seven times in the Premier League including a recent brace to secure a 2-0 home win over Norwich City.

Southgate has plenty of options for the right wing, but Bowen is now impossible to ignore having been on target yet again in the midweek win over Watford and he fully deserves an England call up.

 

Max Kilman (Wolves)

Wolves have one of the best defences in the Premier League this season, but Kilman continues to operate under the radar despite a string of fine performances for Bruno Lage’s side. The 24-year-old has slotted seamlessly into the Wolves back line and the fact he is comfortable playing in a back three is in Kilman’s favour given Southgate often likes to use that system.

Kilman played 25 times for England’s futsal team earlier in his career and it is surely now a matter of time until he makes the leap into Southgate’s senior squad.

James Maddison (Leicester City)

Thomas should not be the only Fox waiting by his phone, with Maddison having done all he can to force his way back into the England picture, a run of dominating displays ensuring that he was deservedly nominated for the Premier League’s player of the month award in December.

With six goals and three assists so far in the Premier League, Maddison is back to his best with Southgate having been spotted watching several Leicester matches already this campaign.

As with Dele, Maddison faces a lot of competition with Southgate having a horde of number 10s to pick from. But on current form Maddison should certainly be in the next England squad and he ought to get the chance to add to his sole cap to date, which came back in November 2019.

 

 

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