England Euro 2016 squad: Marcus Rashford named in Roy Hodgson’s 26-man squad along with Drinkwater, Delph and Wilshere
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MARCUS RASHFORD has been named in Roy Hodgson’s 26-man England squad for Euro 2016.
Manchester United youngster Rashford, 18, is the the preliminary group that will be cut down to 23 players before the deadline on June 1.
He will link up with the national team after United’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace this weekend, and has two games to prove his worth a place in France.
Andros Townsend has also been called up by Hodgson at the expense of Arsenal’s Theo Walcott.
Newcastle winger Townsend last figured for England as a substitute during the 3-0 away victory over Lithuania in qualifying last October.
But after he was frozen out by Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, the winger thought his chances of taking part in this summer’s tournament had gone.
He was forced to quit Spurs in search of first team football in January, making a £12million switch to Newcastle, and though he was unable to stop the team being relegated his personal displays impressed Hodgson.
Andros Townsend is the wildcard choice of Roy Hodgson for Euro 2016
Andros Townsend is the wildcard choice of Roy Hodgson for Euro 2016
The knee injuiry suffered by Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck opened the door, and Hodgson has decided to go with what he knows best after Townsend proved influential in helping England qualify for the 2014 World Cup.
Injury robbed the 24-year-old of a place on the plane to Brazil, but it looks like he has finally been given the opportunity to play in a major tournament.
His opportunity comes at the expense of Arsenal’s Theo Walcott who has paid the price for failing to hold down a regular place in Arsene Wenger’s side in recent months.
Leicester duo Danny Drinkwater and Jamie Vardy have been rewarded for helping the club win the Premier League with a place in the group, and as expected there was no place for West Ham’s in-form Mark Noble.
England start their campaign in France against Russia on June 11 and Hodgson will be keen to make sure all of his players are fully fit — including Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson.
Hodgson is known to be a big fan of Wilshere, but his selection still represents a gamble given the Arsenal midfielder has played just 141 minutes for his club this season following another injury-ravaged campaign.
Wilshere’s inclusion comes at the expense of Manchester United veteran Michael Carrick again finds himself on the sidelines.
With Liverpool facing Sevilla in Wednesday’s Europa League final and Manchester United playing Bournemouth in a rearranged Premier League fixture tomorrow before Saturday’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace, the squad could yet be altered if any late injuries occur.
The fitness of Jordan will be one of Hodgson’s main concerns, but theLiverpool captain came through 25 minutes against West Brom on Sunday unscathed and is expected to have recovered sufficiently from his knee injury.
England squad:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, Tom Heaton.
Defenders: Nathaniel Clyne, Kyle Walker, Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Ryan Bertrand, Danny Rose.
Midfielders: Dele Alli, Ross Barkley, Fabian Delph, Eric Dier, Danny Drinkwater, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Raheem Sterling, Andros Townsend, Jack Wilshere.
Strikers: Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge, Jamie Vardy.
