– England announce youthful squad.
– Australia vow to excite!
England boss, Roy Hodgson (pictured below with Raheem Sterling), has put forward a very young squad to take on the challenges that lie in wait in Brazil. The squad averages an age of just 26, and Hodgson has extreme confidence that his men are talented and grounded enough to get the job done. He suggests they have the capabilities to come out top dogs in South America:
“Yes of course we can win the World Cup, but why would we be going otherwise? We are right to have some degree of optimism.”
Hodgson with England youngster Raheem Sterling.
The 23 man squad announced is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, Ben Foster, Fraser Forster.
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Luke Shaw, Phil Jones, Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill, Glen Johnson and Chris Smalling.
Midfielders: Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshire.
Strikers: Daniel Sturridge, Wayne Rooney, Ricky Lambert and Danny Welbeck.
The squad is carrying the likes of; Luke Shaw, 18; Raheem Sterling, 19; and Ross Barkley, 20. The reason being these player have all came to prominence and been vital for their EPL sides this season. They rightly deserve there spots. So too do the likes of Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge, both of whom had an outstanding campaign for Liverpool. These young players will arguably deserve to be in the starting line-up as well, not just bench warming for their more experienced counterparts.
Next up for England is their Spain/Portugal warm weather training camp before heading to Miami to attune to the heat and humidity they will face in the Amazonian conditions. This world cup promises to be a very exciting one for both England and all the nations involved.
Meanwhile, Australia are changing things up similarly adding young and unexpected inclusions in the squad:
Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou has said that a regeneration of the team was necessary and that the Australian national side will go out to excite fans:
“It was a meaningful change and we needed to regenerate the team.”
“I want fans to be excited to watch this team, it’s our responsibility to excite them,” he said. “Hopefully (the players) have a similar fire in the belly to myself.”
Taggart celebrates after scoring in A-League for Newcastle Jets.
The squad includes the likes of Adam Taggart, 20 (pictured right), who has had an outstanding season for the Newcastle Jets grabbing the A League golden boot and young player of the season awards. Taggart may have been a no brainer but it shows Postecoglou is excited by young Australian prospects who are keen to give everything and step up to the plate:
“If people had the form and the fitness, regardless of experience or age, they would be in the squad.”
As usual, Aussie ever-present Tim Cahill vows to take his chance when called upon by the manager and is as ready as any for Brazil:
“The one thing for me is that if Ange needs you in any sort of tactical way, a bit like what Guus (Hiddink) used (me for) in the first World Cup and a lot of us players in the second World Cup, you have to be ready.”
“I’m ready to go.” he said speaking to Foxtel.
