After Wednesday’s disappointing defeat from a young England side to a very tasty looking France outfit at Wembley, we finally got to see messrs Andy Carroll and Jordan Henderson in an England shirt for the senior team as well as catching another glimpse of Kieran Gibbs. The results were mixed with Carroll delivering a decent performance forced to feed off scraps, Gibbs looking comfortable despite his lack of match practice and Henderson looking a little lost in an unfamiliar holding role. With these three and of course Jack Wilshere sure to be playing for the national team for years to come, just what other youngsters are knocking on the door of the squad? Here’s a list of 10 for your perusal.
Some of these English youngsters are likely to be the mainstay of England’s squad at their home World Cup should their bid to host the 2018 World Cup be successful, but which ones will make the grade?
Click on the Back the Bid poster below to see the 10 English youngsters with bright futures:
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Steven Gerrard has not suffered a setback in his bid to return from a hamstring injury claims Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson.
The talismanic midfielder has not been available for the Reds since tearing his hamstring during England's friendly defeat to France a fortnight ago.
Reports had suggested that he aggravated the injury in training in midweek but Hodgson has stressed that the damage was only minimal.
He said:"There's no problem with Steven.
"It turned out that he just tweaked a bit of scar tissue. I spoke to him after Tuesday's training and he did say he felt he had tweaked something.
"But the medical people have had a look at him and said it was nothing, it was only scar tissue."
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Liverpool will be without Gerrard for their game against Aston Villa on Monday but he could line up to face Newcastle next Saturday if his rehabilitation remains on track.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Four years ago BBC Five Live football correspondent, Alan Green, a closet Liverpool fan, savaged the football style of Bolton after the Trotters had ridden out a red storm to secure an important draw with Arsenal. Green described the Bolton way of football as “garbage” something that he “wouldn’t pay to watch.”
Move the clock forward five years, and there are rumours surfacing that Green’s beloved Liverpool are looking to tempt current Bolton boss, Owen Coyle, to Anfield at the end of the season. There may be several obstacles to Coyle’s appointment on Merseyside, not least the burning desire of Kenny Dalglish to keep his job full time, however for Coyle it is a endorsement of the quality he has brought to the Reebok during his 12 months in charge.
Pundits, like fans, can be extraordinarily fickle. Gary Megson was arguably right to feel aggrieved after being sacked by Bolton halfway through the 2009-10 season, and Coyle’s appointment as his successor was deemed a positive move, if a risky one considering the Scotsman’s relative inexperience in the top-flight.
For a side famed for their physical, almost ‘Crazy Gang’ style of football, 2010 was something of a watershed for the Trotters. It would be one eyed to suggest that Coyle has suddenly transformed his new club into a team pursuing total football, however he has been able to incorporate the tools left to him by previous regimes and instil in them a more aesthetic approach to the game.
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The selection of Kevin Davies by England manager Fabio Capello was the first indication that the Bolton system was beginning to make people take notice of the club once derided by Green. Coyle’s pairing of club captain Davies with Johan Elmander, has convinced many that Davies is not simply a big target man, and Bolton not simply an unattractive side.
Undoubtedly, their success has come at a time where many other Premier League clubs are going through a transitional phase, enabling Coyle’s men to scale heights they may have been unable to in previous seasons.
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It is an indication of the bizarre phase of Premiership history in which we currently reside that Coyle may find accepting the Liverpool job to be something he shies away from, such is the state of the red half of Merseyside.
The former Burnley manager will have seen Roy Hodgson’s tumultuous reign draw to a close this week and acknowledged the difficulty in walking into a club where you are not the man the fans want to see. However, if King Kenny does not deliver the passion and, more importantly, results required over the next five months, a prolonged period of Bolton success could mean the knock on Coyle’s door becomes too loud to ignore. He may even find Alan Green leading the welcoming party.
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Two teams that find themselves at the bottom of the form table, meaning this fixture can go either way. The Baggies have recorded impressive victories earlier this season at Arsenal and Everton but have only won once in their last six games, losing the other five. Wigan on the other hand have only a single victory to their name in their last 11 games; this is a game both teams will be looking to start a winning run of form.
Baggies boss, Roberto Di Matteo, could give a debut to new loan signing from Arsenal Carlos Vela, whilst the versatile Steven Reid could make a comeback from injury. A win would be very useful for the Albion as they face other teams around them at the bottom of the Premier League table in their next few games.
As far as Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is concerned, he should be able welcome back his first team regulars who were rested for their FA Cup tie at the weekend. A win would lift Wigan ahead of their hard run of fixtures that remain this season; if they are to try and keep their status in the top division victories are vital.
There has never been a goalless draw in a fixture between both clubs but West Brom have one of the worst defensive records this season, while Wigan have one of the worst records in regards to putting the ball in the back of the net.
Prediction: 3-1
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Birmingham signing Curtis Davies has revealed he was ‘happy to see the back’ of former club Aston Villa after his January transfer move.
Central defender Davies had not made a league appearance for Villa since the 2009/10 season and had spent the earlier part of this term on-loan at Championship club Leicester City.
Davies appeared destined to link up with Leicester again before a swoop on January 28 by Villa’s rivals Birmingham kept the 25-year-old in the English Premier League.
“It’s good – good to be here. They’re a good set of lads and it seems a good club so I’m just ready to get going and try and play Premier League football again,” Davies said.
“I was on my way to Leicester and had got the paperwork done really and Villa called my agent late on in the evening and said Villa hadn’t signed off the papers and said the Blues had put in a permanent deal. I was obviously happy to come across and talk to Blues and happy to get the deal done.”
And there is no love lost between Davies and former club Villa, where he had been frozen out first by manager Martin O’Neill and then his successor Gerard Houllier.
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“At the end of the day I hadn’t played a league game for Villa for eighteen months, so maybe if I was a regular in the side and had jumped ship to come to the Blues then that would’ve probably been a different thing,” he said.
“But it was more a case that they were happy to see the back of me and I was happy to see the back of them really. I wasn’t playing for them – I was just sitting there doing nothing and I wanted to go and play.”
Manchester City missed a golden opportunity to close the gap at the top of the Premier League after a controversial penalty saw two points dropped at St Andrews. Roberto Mancini was left fuming at the decision that could cost the Citizens dear at the end of the season.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that includes Gary Neville looking set for a career in TV; Avram Grant believes Robbie Keane will prove West Ham’s saviour, while John Aldridge lays into Fernando Torres.
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Pardew’s striking concerns – Sky Sports
Neville retires – and considers TV career – Guardian
Glazers shift ownership of United to Delaware – Daily Telegraph
Grant: Robbie can save us – Sun
New King blow for Tottenham – Daily Telegraph
Dalglish’s foraging foursome to fear – Guardian
Angry Aldridge lays into ‘fraud’ Fernando for abandoning Liverpool – Daily Mail
Fàbregas in clear over tunnel bust-up – Daily Telegraph
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AC Milan host Napoli on Monday in a top-of-the-table Serie A clash that could determine who wins this season’s Scudetto.Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan side head the league by three points to Napoli, and will hold first place regardless of the result on Monday, given their superior goal difference.But a win to Walter Mazzarri’s second-placed side would pile the pressure on Milan to retain first place, with 11 games to go after this round of fixtures.Milan are also perceived to have lost significant momentum courtesy of their controversial 1-0 loss to Tottenham in the Champions League round-of-32 first leg last week, which saw Gennaro Gattuso handed a European suspension for gross unsportsmanlike conduct towards Spurs assistant coach Joe Jordan.The defeat was their first in 11 matches in all competitions, but they have since beaten Chievo away from home to boost their confidence.In the only match on Saturday, Juventus are at home to mid-table Bologna. Juve coach Gigi Delneri will expect a response after the team suffered a surprise 2-0 defeat away to struggling Lecce last time out.Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was sent off at the Stadio Via del Mare and will be suspended for the Bologna match. Reserve shot-stopper Marco Storari – who covered in the absence of the injured Buffon in the first half of the season – will deputize once again.In the pick of Sunday’s matches, defending champions Inter Milan – who lost 1-0 at home to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday – face a challenging return to league action away to Sampdoria.Sixth-placed Roma are at home to struggling Parma, while fifth-placed Udinese play Palermo, three places and four points behind them in eighth.All three teams in the relegation zone are at home, with bottom side Bari facing the toughest task when they take on visitors Fiorentina.Second-bottom Cesena await the arrival of Chievo Verona and third-last Brescia host Lecce, who are just four points clear of the drop in 15th.Catania are in even deeper trouble than Lecce, three points clear of the relegation zone in 17th. They will be hard pressed to take anything from the visit of Genoa to the Stadio Angelo Massimino.Fourth-placed Lazio are away to Cagliari.
Birmingham City suffered a Wembley hangover, slumping to a 3-1 defeat to Midlands and relegation rivals West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.The win – Roy Hodgson’s first since becoming manager – lifts Albion above Birmingham and out of the English Premier League relegation zone.Conversely, defeat immediately bursts City’s bubble after their Carling Cup victory over Arsenal last Sunday, and drops Alex McLeish’s side to 17th on the table.Both sides cancelled each other out in a forgettable first half, with Birmingham striker Cameron Jerome having the better of the chances created.First, he capitalised on a West Brom mistake to fire wide from 25 yards. He went closer just before half-time, stooping to head Jean Beausejour’s cross inches wide.The game came to life after the break, with the away side opening the scoring two minutes into the second half.Peter Odemwingie came on as a half-time substitute and made an immediate impact, keeping possession while surrounded by four Birmingham players. He played the ball through to Youssuf Mulumbu, who poked the ball past Ben Foster.Birmingham hit back and were level within a minute, with Beausejour turning in Lee Bowyer’s cross for his first ever Premier League goal.But West Brom took the lead again 10 minutes later thanks to superb piece of skill by midfielder James Morrison.Picking the ball up 25 yards out, he flicked the ball past Curtis Davies before smashing an unstoppable shot past City goalkeeper Ben Foster.Odemwingie should have put Albion further ahead, firing over with the entire goal to aim at after Chris Brunt’s low strike came crashing back off the post.A third goal did come for Albion, in the 72nd minute.Birmingham switched off at a West Brom short corner, which allowed Morrison time to cross. Paul Scharner headed goalwards at the back post and, while Foster got a touch to clear, assistant referee Darren Cann flagged to say the ball had crossed the line.
Wigan and Tottenham had to settle for a point each in a goalless stalemate at the DW Stadium on Saturday.With Wigan starting the day rock bottom of the English Premier League and Tottenham still in the hunt for a top-four finish, both sides’ seasons still hang very much in the balance.
But with the two managers desperate for all three points, neither team was able to snatch a winning goal.
This was not your average scoreless draw, however, and there was little sign of caginess from either side in an entertaining first half.
However, it was not until the 23rd minute when either team had a real glimpse of goal.
Jermaine Jenas, who was given a rare start by manager Harry Redknapp, let fly with a thumping strike from 25 yards, which goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi was unable to hold, although he managed to recover to thwart Jermain Defoe on the follow-up.
Wigan’s first real chance fell to Victor Moses, who fashioned himself an opening following Ben Watson’s corner, only to lash his strike over the bar.
After such an even first half, there was only one team that looked likely to score in the opening stages of the second period as Wigan dominated possession and created chances at will – but missed them too.
Tom Cleverly looked as if he had finally broken the deadlock after cutting inside and steering a curling effort towards the top corner. But somehow Heurelho Gomes was able to claw the strike wide.
Tottenham brought on Peter Crouch and Aaron Lennon for Defoe and Rafael van der Vaart at either side of the hour mark, and the substitutions revitalised the visiting side.
That said, they were still unable to find a way through Wigan’s backline – and whenever they did, Al Habsi was in fine form.
When the sides last met at White Hart Lane back in August, Tottenham conceded a last-gasp goal – and they almost repeated the trick at the DW Stadium.
But when substitute Conor Sammon’s low effort looked destined for the bottom corner, Gomes was able to hold on with just a minute to go.
Laurent Blanc is expected to provide opportunities to several fringe players when France meet Croatia in a friendly on Tuesday.France laboured to an unconvincing 2-0 victory over Luxembourg in Euro 2012 qualifying on Saturday, but can now boast a run of six consecutive victories stretching back to September 2010.
Blanc was unimpressed by his team’s performance and is set to use the match against Croatia as a chance to test out some alternatives.
“There are several areas to improve on from the Luxembourg game but we must continue down our regular path and continue our winning streak,” Blanc said.
“We will have a different team, we have the opportunity to make six changes and we will look to ensure that virtually all the players in the squad have participated in one of the two games.”
Bordeaux midfielder Alou Diarra is expected to captain the team, with Lyon’s Hugo Lloris remaining in goal.
Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny is in contention for his international debut at the Stade de France.
And World Cup rebels Franck Ribery and Patrice Evra could make their first home appearance on home soil after incurring the wrath of the French people with their training ground mutiny in South Africa.
Croatia come into the game after finally surrendering a 14-match unbeaten run with a 1-0 defeat away to Georgia on Saturday.
Coach Slaven Bilic has received fierce criticism in the Croatian press following the reverse, and the 42-year-old will expect an improvement from his players when they tackle France.
“I am looking for a response but we are still favourites,” Bilic said, referring to the team’s situation in qualifying Group F, in which the Croats trail leaders Greece by one point.
“We knew what we would face in Tbilisi, 55,000 fanatical fans, a solid Georgian team which defended fantastically well.”
“I understand the anger and the rage … It was not good but the situation in the group remains in our hands.”