Gareth Southgate should roll the dice and take Fulham wonderkid Ryan Sessegnon to the World Cup in Russia this summer
The Three Lions know they have a special talent on their hands but after taking a chance on a 17-year-old Theo Walcott backfired would they take another gamble
Sponsored by
SVEN GORAN ERIKSSON was upfront when asked why he had selected 17-year-old Theo Walcott for his World Cup squad in 2006.
“It’s a big gamble, I know it is” the England manager admitted, having picked a kid with no Premier League experience over in-form Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe.
It did not pay off as Walcott failed to play a single second at the tournament.
We concluded that it had been an error, one that had been unfair on such an inexperienced player and that should not be repeated.
Only, I think it might be time for a similarly controversial roll of the dice.
Ryan Sessegnon does not turn 18 until mid May, but his ability and maturity mean he should be in with a genuine shout of going to Russia.
The Fulham prodigy already has 60 appearances and 19 goals in the league.
Nine of those have come since the turn of the year, including a clinical finish in Saturday’s 2-1 win at Derby, as his form hits new heights of consistency.
He has become the talisman of an excellent Championship team; the man (boy, really) Fulham’s midfield passmasters seek out to make things happen.
His movement, awareness and anticipation are making him increasingly more difficult to pick up which has led to many of his goals, such as his opener against Wolves last month, as has his electric pace.
RY NOT? Ryan Sessegnon insists he will be ready to star for England at the World Cup if he gets the call
Yes, it is only the Championship. But England’s second tier has improved significantly since Walcott’s handful of games in over a decade ago.
The influx of foreign talent and money in the Premier League has seen high-quality players drop down a division. This is not kick ’n rush, neck-ache football anymore.
Fulham and Wolves particularly would give anyone below the top six in the Prem a game and probably be better to watch.
Sessegnon’s rapid progress this season has to be seen to be believed and that is apt because I imagine most who would instantly dismiss the idea of his World Cup inclusion have never seen him play live.
Fortunately that group of people does not include Steve Holland, Gareth Southgate’s assistant, who has watched Sessegnon on more than one occasion this term.
The Three Lions hierarchy know what a special talent they have on their hands. This is a potential global star; it is just whether they feel he is ready to take on the world now or not.
And who do England have down the left anyway?
An out-of-position Marcus Rashford, who cannot get a game at Manchester United currently? Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who wants to play in the middle? The injury-prone Danny Welbeck?
Southgate’s lack of wide players has seen him opt for wing-backs, but even then he does not seem entirely convinced by his left-sided options, picking different ones for the last three games.
Those do not include Luke Shaw, who Sessegnon said he idolised growing up despite the Manchester United star being only 22.
most read in football
Sessegnon started the season as a left-back and many believe, including his team-mates, that wing-back will be his future position when he eventually moves to a top European club.
That versatility could come in handy but were he to go primarily as a left-winger/forward, that would allow Raheem Sterling to play out on the right as he does for Manchester City.
The way Sessegnon is feeding off Aleksandar Mitrovic right now suggests he would hit it off famously with Harry Kane, and no doubt Tottenham are thinking the same thing.
His manager Slavisa Jokanovic endorsed the idea of a shock Sessegnon World Cup call-up after the Derby win.
I asked former England left-back Nicky Shorey about that prospect. The Stevenage coach replied: “It probably won’t happen because he’s still playing in the Championship. There are a few just in front of him. But he’s such an exciting talent.
“Nothing would surprise me because as much as there are a few left-footers in the Premier League, I don’t think there is anything that really stands out.”
Walcott’s last competitive game before his World Cup call-up was for Southampton on January 14. Arsenal did not play him at all that season.
His agent spoke of his client’s “shock” at being selected, and how the forward had anticipated just one bit of good news that day: the passing of his driving theory test.
Sessegnon has played every single game for Fulham this term.
Go on, Gareth. Give the lad a chance in the upcoming friendlies against Holland and Italy and you may discover the Sessegnon theory works in practice too.