This week, Fabio Capello selected a 31-man England squad for two England friendlies a fortnight away. The Three Lions take on USA and Trinidad and Tobago on May 28 and June 1, with players looking to impress, prior to their summer break.
 
Capello has spoken of his desire to have everyone available who doesn’t have a valid excuse, but who didn’t make the squad? Which players, either through self imposed international retirement, injury, or otherwise, were not selected for the summer training camp?
 
This multipart series has already covered goalkeepers, right backs and centre backs, and now left backs not included by Capello are the issue at hand. Is there a Roberto Carlos waiting in the wings?
 
Analysis: Ashley Cole - love him or loathe him - is England’s top number three, with Wayne Bridge and the versatile goalscoring defender Joleon Lescott the men to cover him from within the squad. Outside of that triumvirate, there are a handful of England wannabees, but not a great deal of experienced strength and depth.
 
Name, Club, Age, Height, Birthplace, other position (if any), 2007/08 appearances, reason for not being selected

Close to the squad:

Nicky Shorey, Reading, 27, 5 ft 9 ins, Romford, London, 38, a defender with a wizardry left foot, equally adept at defending as he is going forward. If he played for a top ten club he’d be in the squad already. A move to a club such as West Ham would help his cause. He is a set-piece architect, good dribble, tackler and has a shot to keep goalkeepers on their toes.
 
Future possibles

Leighton Baines, Everton, 23, 5 ft 7 ins, Liverpool, Merseyside, 29, hasn’t managed to force his way past Lescott and Nuno Valente at club level. Will need to do that, or move again, if he wants to make the next step up. Has the potential, but it’s been a sideways year for him, after his move from Wigan.
 
David Murphy, Birmingham, 24, 6 ft 1 ins, Hartlepool, County Durham, 32, has settled well into the Premier League after his January move from Hibernian. Has potency in his left foot and is one of the future.
 
Andrew Taylor, Middlesbrough, 21, 5 ft 10 ins, Hartlepool, County Durham, 21, has been rotating the left back position with Emmanuel Pogatetz and Jonathan Grounds at Middlesbrough, but has displayed enough promise to show a decent career lies ahead of him.
 
Jamie O’Hara, Tottenham, 21, 5 ft 11 ins, Dartford, Kent, centre midfield, 40, originally a midfielder when he broke through into the first team, but many feel his future lies in the fullback role. Could advance at either position due to his all round game, and multitude of attributes.
 
Far from the squad

Michael Ball, Man City, 28, 5 ft 10 ins, Liverpool, Merseyside, centre back, left midfield, 35, many feel he’s been lucky to be a regular at City, so further international recognition seems no more than a dream. He’s unlikely to add to his solitary cap, won seven years ago. Yet another one cap wonder.
 
Paul Konchesky, Fulham, 26, 5 ft 9 ins, Barking, London, centre back, left midfield, 37, was far closer to the England squad a few years ago. His first season at Fulham, since moving from West Ham, didn’t set the world alight.
 
Jlloyd Samuel, Bolton, 27, 5 ft 11 ins, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, 25, after early career promise, his form has dipped in the last couple of years. The talent is still there, but is the desire?
 
Matthew Taylor, Bolton, 26, 5 ft 10 ins, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, winger, 34, has been used in a more advanced role in recent times, mainly due to his crossing ability and goal threat from long range. A fairly surprising mid season move north for the versatile lefty hasn’t worked out too badly, but more consistency would be needed for an England call-up.

 

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