Eurosport - Mon, 25 May 08:41:00 2009
England coach Fabio Capello surprisingly named Manchester United's veteran defender Gary Neville in his 24-man squad for World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra.
The 34-year-old Neville, United's club captain, made the last of his 85 England appearances against Spain in 2007 and is no longer a regular first choice at his club after battling with injuries for the last two seasons.
Capello also recalled Blackburn Rovers goalkeeper Paul Robinson who made the last of his 41 international appearances when England lost to Russia in a Euro 2008 qualifier in 2007.
Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermaine Defoe was included after injury kept him out of England's first three internationals of the year.
Capello, however, will be without first-choice goalkeeper David James of Portsmouth and Ben Foster of Manchester United who are both injured.
Everton defender Phil Jagielka and Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing are also missing because of injuries which are unlikely to heal before the start of next season.
Capello will be keeping his fingers crossed that the Manchester United, Chelsea and Everton players come through their next matches unscathed.
United face Barcelona in the Champions League final on Wednesday and Chelsea and Everton meet in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
England top Group Six with five successive wins from their and victories in Kazakhstan and against Andorra at Wembley would virtually seal their place in next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.
Squad
Goalkeepers
Scott Carson (West Bromwich Albion), Robert Green (West Ham United), Paul Robinson (Blackburn Rovers)
Defenders
Wayne Bridge (Manchester City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Portsmouth), Joleon Lescott (Everton), Gary Neville (Manchester United), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham United)
Midfielders
Gareth Barry (Aston Villa), David Beckham (AC Milan), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
Forwards
Carlton Cole (West Ham United), Peter Crouch (Portsmouth), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
Comment 57 - 76 of 76
andylowe18,
who are the best three strikers in Italy, Germany and Portugal?
OMG He has not been playing well, he probably cant find a decent defender. Rio should be fit? John Terry should be in it, Carragher if needed is capello going to play a 4-4-2 again? good choice if he does. or 5-3-2
Gary Neville has not earned and England recall he has hardly kicked a ball this season. Another gift wrapped cap courtesy of the Manager.
Look at the Spanish league. The best three strikers are French, Cameroonian and Argentinian
Look at the Italian league. The best three strikers are Swedish, Brazilian and Brazilian
Look at the German league. The best three strikers are Italian, Bosnia and Herzogovenian and Brazilian
Look at the Portuguese league. The best three strikers are Brazilian, Paraguayan and Brazilian
Enough said?
Clive V finally someone who can see Carrick's ability. I don't know how long I have been saying that he should be in the England team and everyone always responds with 'but where would you play Gerrard and Lampard?' I don't think that we need to play both, if you wanted to you could play Gerrard behind the striker but then you would have 2 forwards (Rooney and Gerrard) and no striker. Also he is deffinately better than Barry.
Is it not ironic that the sharpest, most potent strikers in the EPL are not in the England squad because they ar foreigners? Only Rooney is a striker of note on that list. Capello may have to rely on midfielders that score (Gerrard, Walcott Lampard, Beckam, etc) and defenders that also score (Terry, Lescot). Indeed, he must demonstrate that football is a team sport.
I discorvered a hot place
------Wealth y F inder C o M------ where many sexy singles- who like dating and-- chatting there. I'm an open- minded girl with s---exual a--ttraction and big b---oobs. I-- am Waiting 4 u
Everyone who is ENGLISH and is taking a swipe at Manchester United should sit back a little and ask themselves if the club and SAF should be at the receiving end of any sticks you're dishing out. Looking through the list, the so-called big 4 can only produce 9 players, 4 from Manutd, 3 from Chelsea and 1 each from Liverpool and Arsenal. I agree Gary Neville shouldn't necessary make the list but questions should be asked as to why the two other teams can only produce just one reputable English talent in their fold.
FABio is the real deal !!!!! Why do you idiots not look at the table and see Capello's record in the games that COUNT.
louisez69,
What the hell are you talking about?? how have you made a link to SAF in this story? you must be mental!! SAF has no influence over either who is picked by the national coach or who is chosen by the players to be crowned best player of the year. Mad @#$%.
everyone said Beckham was Past It. Enough said there i think.
Really unlucky Arsenal and Liverpool fans, your teams in last 10 years working to create "Foreing Stars" with french and spanish players. Don't you forget that, kings of green field 2 greatest teams Manchester United despide 2 enjuries, they got normaly 4 or 5 players in National Team (Neville, Ferdinand, Brown, Hargreaves, Rooney) and Chelsea (A.Cole, Terry, Lampard, J.Cole).
So, I consider that Capello is going to do a great job, cause everybody in the World knows witch country got all potencials for the Best National Team, also for the next World Cup Champions.
Agree with alot of people with regards picking the wrong Neville as for forwards they just dont look strong enough to me other than rooney for the world stage looks to me as we wont be able to play two strikers against big teams instead opt for rooney with gerrard floating as for keeepers they 're all just decent if u think of premiership keepers & think of top 5 i would'nt put an english man in their there lies the problem
In all honesty against the quality of opposition coming up you could rest Neville and play Orville.Apparently the Neville brothers dads name is Neville Neville - is that true?
Neville? Heskey? Carlton? Robinson? WHY WHY WHY??????????????
i guess capello must be waiting for almunia to become an english national.....
such a @#$%e choice of keepers, capello. carson? really? noe a good squad coach, not a good squad at all
Most of the Comments 42 and onwards on this article perhaps show the downside of giving everyone their say....quite pathetic and unless internet providers can sort out this sort of shambles, then these sites become totally irrelevant.
carson? heskey?.....capello such a loser
WINKERS ALL OF YOU .
Saeed . did you piss your pants there ?
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account