England

Joe Hart seems nailed on to be England’s number one for years, but injury and form could dictate otherwise. Furthermore, there is always the threat that Manchester City could recruit someone like Spain star Iker Casillas one day. After all, money talks, so nothing can be taken for granted.

But who is waiting in the wings should the same fate befall Hart as Shay Given? Well, Scott Loach has been in and around the squad and is more likely to represent the future than the likes of Rob Green, who has won just 11 caps at the age of 30.

The Hornets’ financial restrictions are well known but in Loach they have a keeper who is more than playing his part as the Vicarage Road outfit keep pace with the chasing pack just outside the play-off places (Watford 20/1 – To Win Promotion).

Another youngster catching the eye in the Championship is QPR’s on-loan defender Kyle Walker, who has played in both full-back positions for the leaders since arriving on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

Walker has Alan Hutton and Vedran Corluka ahead of him in the pecking order at White Hart Lane and is really benefitting from his time spent under the watchful eye of Rs chief Neil Warnock – so much so that the Loftus Road faithful are calling for the club’s minted owners to make his permanent signing a priority in January (QPR 4/5f – Championship Outright).

At the heart of defence, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand should be coming to their respective peaks but instead, injuries appear to have caught up with them. Furthermore, the Chelsea captain turns 30 tomorrow and, never the quickest, he is only going one way.

Behind them the likes of Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka and Michael Dawson have also had their own injury problems and good club-men as they are, surely 21-year-old Gary Cahill should get the nod as he continues to prove Martin O’Neill wrong for selling him to Bolton when he was manager of Aston Villa.

Wanderers are flying under Owen Coyle and while the former Burnley chief appears to have the Midas touch, Cahill’s form is a big reason why the Reebok Stadium outfit continue to confound their doubters by flying high in sixth place, having lost just three Premier League games this term (Bolton 7/1 – Top Six Finish).

Like Ferdinand and Terry, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard – as experienced as they are – have also completed more pre-seasons than they have in front of them so England need to be looking to the next crop in the engine room.

Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Ashley Young and Adam Johnson can provide breath-taking pace down the flanks for years to come, but who is putting their hand up to put their foot in when the going gets tough?

Sunderland captain Lee Cattermole needs to curb his swashbuckling tendencies but he is not the first relatively inexperienced player to be too rash in the tackle and, at the age of 22, should get a chance ahead of the likes of 30-year-old Scott Parker (Black Cats 22/1 – Relegation).

Aston Villa’s Marc Albrighton is also worth a mention in dispatches although England’s strength on the flanks means he is facing an uphill battle (Villa 5/1 – To Beat Liverpool at Anfield tonight).

Finally, Wayne Rooney is sure to prove – yet again – the old adage that form is temporary, class is permanent, while Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch have never let England down over the years.

Andy Carroll deserves another chance to impress and certainly has support over his inclusion, which will happen, but injuries could decimate England’s options so who else is in the mix?

Well, it’s easy to forget Sunderland star Darren Bent only turned 26 earlier this year and for a player with the goalscoring record he can boast, the former Ipswich youngster’s seven caps are not enough. This is something which should be rectified immediately (Bent 10/1 – Premiership Top Goalscorer).

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