Euro 2008 - Lescott gets England call
Eurosport - Mon, 03 Sep 22:42:00 2007
Uncapped Everton defender Joleon Lescott has been called up to the England squad for the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia.
The 25-year-old replaces Sol Campbell, who has been denied an England return by a hamstring injury.
The versatile Lescott can play either on the left side or in the centre of defence, and has been in excellent form for the Toffees. He scored a late winner against Bolton on Saturday and also found the net against Tottenham earlier this season.
The former Wolves man has two Under-21 caps, and played in the 'B' international against Albania in May.
"You don't often score a last-minute winner on the Saturday and then get an England call-up on the Monday!" he said.
"My phone was on silent in the morning and when I noticed missed calls from various people at the Club I thought perhaps I'd missed training! But I knew I hadn't got my days mixed up and obviously I was delighted to get the call-up.
"I have been pleased with my form for Everton and that will always be my main concern. If anything follows from that then it's a bonus. Every player wants to represent his country and I'm no different. I'm really looking forward to meeting up with the rest of the squad and we'll just see what happens.
"It will help to have Phil [Neville] and AJ [Andy Johnson] around but obviously I know most of the guys anyway from playing against them in the Premier League."
England currently lie fourth in Group E, behind Croatia and forthcoming opponents Israel and Russia, and anything but two Wembley wins will leave their qualifying campaign in serious jeopardy.
Coach Steve McClaren said: "Joleon has been looking very solid for Everton this season, and has also scored a couple of goals, too.
"He is big and strong and is a threat at set-pieces as well, but as a defender he makes life very difficult for strikers. His versatility also means he is a good option as he can play in the middle of the defence or at full-back.
"He came on as a sub for the 'B' team at Burnley in May and looked assured and I think he's very capable of making the step up to the full team."
Eurosport