Now a bona-fide England senior

There is most definitely a positive to some of the younger England players taking part at the Euro U21 championships this summer, but some are 'bona-fide' senior players now, even if they more than qualify for the U21s...

Stuart Pearce has made it clear that he wants Jack Butland as his keeper this summer, and hopes he can be part of his squad and not taken on a summer tour with the senior side - I suspect Pearce will almost certainly get the nod for this.

Others that have played full international football for England, but can still play at U21 level are the likes of Phil Jones, Jordan Henderson, Jonjo Shelvey, Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Zaha.

These cannot really be considered regular senior players, well maybe Jones aside - and I include Henderson even though he went to the Euros last summer - but one man that can is Jack Wilshere.

An argument could be made for him being included but he is passed the U21 stage now, and he will go away with the senior squad at the end of the season with Roy Hodgson saying: 'it is not right to compare Jack with Zaha, Sterling and Shelvey, etc.

'You have to give Wilshere the credit that he has established himself as a bona-fide first-team player.

'He will play against Ireland in May and come with us to Brazil after that.'

Another that Hodgson put in the same category, and also to be fair probably rightly so, was Danny Welbeck.

There is no real benefit to England in the long-term Arsenal man Wilshere or Man Utd's Welbeck playing at the U21 Euros this summer is there, and lets face it Arsenal would kick-off big time if Wilshere was!

Although there would be benefit the other players for sure and that could make all the difference come Brazil in 2014, by which time you would have thought they would be close to being 'bona-fide' senior internationals like Wilshere, but have competition experience...

Vital England on:

Vital England on:

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