Roy Hodgson has announced who has made the cut for the England team for their upcoming historic friendly against Scotland.
Along with the usual suspects such as Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard, Hodgson has also decided to call Southampton’s Rickie Lambert up, an odd choice considering it is questionable whether Lambert would be considered good enough to go to Brazil next year.
A statement released by the FA said: “Roy Hodgson has handed a first England call-up to Rickie Lambert ahead of next Wednesday’s Teenage Cancer Trust International against Scotland at Wembley.
“The 31-year-old Southampton striker bagged 15 Premier League goals last season and forms a forward quartet with Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck.
“Manchester United’s young winger Wilfried Zaha, who featured for the Under-21s at Euro 2013 this summer, is also in the 25-man squad and has the chance to add to the senior cap earned against Sweden in November.
“Three Lions captain Steven Gerrard and Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere also return to the squad having missed the games at the end of last campaign against Republic of Ireland and Brazil.
“Wednesday’s game is the first time the two nations have met since 1999 in their Euro 2000 play-off.”
The full squad is as follows:
GOALKEEPERS
Ben Foster, Joe Hart, John Ruddy.
DEFENDERS
Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Kyle Walker.
MIDFIELDERS
Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Wilshere, Young, Zaha.
FORWARDS
Jermain Defoe, Rickie Lambert, Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck.
Photo: Getty Images
