Time for Arsenal youngster to push on

For many a year now I have held Kieran Gibbs in high regard.

As far back as 2009, granted not a lifetime really but a good few years, I saw him as being 'the future' as far as left backs with England go - and had been championing him to ousted his opposition for the role...

I thought he would have been the first choice by the time the 2010 world cup came around, well at least well and truly established in the 23-man squad regularly!

This has not really been the case, he has been in and out of the squads over the years, to be fair I would say mostly down to injury as he seems to have suffered from these a lot over the years.

Also, again to be fair, Ashley Cole is still going strong, and still regarded as one of the best left backs in world football, so it takes some effort to overturn him.

Whilst time is still on Gibbs' side I would think that this year is the year for him to really kick-on as others are pushing hard for a place in the squad and he has slipped behind them.

Leighton Baines seems to have nailed his place in the squad down but Gibbs needs to be reminding Roy Hodgson that he is still around or he could fairly quickly find himself a forgotten man and go the way of some other very talented former Arsenal fullbacks that found international recognition hard to come across back in the day...

Vital England on:

Vital England on:

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