With Ricky Lambert’s dream England debut still fresh in the memory banks, two of his club teammates will be hoping to emulate his early success.
Lambert will be joined in the next international break by Southampton teammates Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez (pictured), both deserved call-ups into the England squad.
With Southampton sitting in sixth place and challenging even the best the Premier League has to offer for three points weekly, it’s no surprise manager Roy Hodgson has decided to bring in the pair.
Lallana especially has been rampant on the wing for the Saints, tearing apart defenses and displaying both a pinpoint cross and the ability to bring the ball into the box himself. It’s not his first call into the England squad, but it does represent maybe his best chance at getting his first cap.
However, the call-up may be more meaningful for striker Jay Rodriguez, it being his first. The Burnley native is eligible to play for Spain through his father, but at 24 years old it would seem England is no doubt the best choice for him, and with the World Cup just a year away it couldn’t come at a better time.
With Southampton making serious Premier League noise, it’s a fantastic job by Roy Hodgson to recognize the potential in its homegrown players.
And with England having already made it into the World Cup setting, Hodgson is now tasked with finding exactly the right fits for his squad. It would seem Southampton has caught his eye.
Also of note, with Joe Hart losing his place at Manchester City, Roy Hodgson acknowledged that he will use the friendlies against Chile and Germany to get either Frasier Forster or John Ruddy some experience, although he did say Hart will start at least one of the matches.
England squad:
Goalkeepers - Joe Hart, Frasier Forster, John Ruddy.
Defenders - Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Kyle Walker.
Midfielders - Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Ross Barkley, Michael Carrick, Adam Lallana, Tom Cleverly, Jordan Henderson, Jack Wilshere, James Milner, Andros Townsend.
Forwards - Danny Welbeck, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Ricky Lambert, Jay Rodriguez, Jermain Defoe.