Euro 2016: Which England players should follow Roy Hodgson out?
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| Euro 2016 |
|---|
| Venue: France Date: 10 June - 10 July |
| Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC Radio 5 live, BBC 5 live sports extra and BBC Radio Wales. Plus the BBC Sport website and app |
England's players left their Chantilly base on Tuesday after the humiliating Euro 2016 exit to Iceland with the inquest under way into yet another dismal failure at a major tournament.
Manager Roy Hodgson resigned minutes after the 2-1 last-16 loss and was very reluctantly undergoing his final media duties in charge of England as the embarrassed squad prepared to depart France.
How many of those players will be key figures in the 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign after this sporting "Brexit"?
Remain
Joe Hart and Wayne Rooney are the two most senior members of England's squad who have question marks over them as they move towards the opening World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on 4 September.
Manchester City keeper Hart, 29, has been unchallenged as first choice in England's past three major tournaments, but he must now be under threat after a dreadful Euro 2016.
Hart looked over-hyped and made two very similar errors, conceding a goal against Wales and, crucially, doing so again for Iceland's winner that sent England out. Twice he was unable to keep out routine shots from Gareth Bale and Kolbeinn Sigthorsson low to his left, despite getting his hand on the ball.
He wins the remain vote because he still has pedigree - but his time at the top will now come under severe pressure from Southampton's Fraser Forster and Stoke City keeper Jack Butland, who missed the tournament through injury.
Manchester United captain Rooney, soon to be 31, leaves yet another showpiece with the bitter taste of disappointment. He may not be part of the side that plays in Russia in two years - but he should not be discarded in the attempt to get there.
- Out-fought, out-thought, out-battled and totally hopeless - Shearer
- 'England leave as a national sporting embarrassment'
- 'They thought this would be a walk in the park - Iceland
- Listen: Allardyce good enough to manage England -Defoe
England's record goalscorer and captain equalled David Beckham's record of 115 caps for an outfield player against Iceland and celebrated with a goal, but his lamentable performance afterwards came as a shock given his fine displays against Russia and Wales.
Rooney looked shell-shocked at the final whistle. He has stated his willingness to carry on but England's next manager must decided whether he is now a midfield man - the more likely option - or a striker.
The debate will continue about his worth, but Rooney still has something to offer England.
Chris Smalling and John Stones are England's centre-back partnership of the future, once the talented Everton youngster regains his best form, while the right-back spot is taken care of by Kyle Walker and Nathaniel Clyne. It is yet to be proved whether they are true international class, but they showed enough in France to stay in the plans.
Dele Alli had a poor Euro 2016, looking jaded from his exertions at Tottenham, but he will be a mainstay of England's midfield for years to come.
Everton midfielder Ross Barkley did not see a minute of action in France, confirming the suspicion that Hodgson never quite trusted his unpredictable talents. He may have better luck with the next manager and should stay in the squad.
Liverpool's Adam Lallana was unlucky to lose his place to Raheem Sterling against Iceland but showed enough to also remain.
Sterling, 21, is at a real crossroads in his career now after a very poor Euro 2016. It may be significant that he received a morale-boosting phone call from his new Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during the tournament.
If Guardiola can re-ignite the £49m forward's electric pace and creativity, England could be the beneficiaries - so for that reason alone he remains.
Tottenham's Eric Dier had the same nightmare as his team-mates against Iceland. He was surprisingly replaced by Jack Wilshere after 45 minutes but he was another who demonstrated at Euro 2016 he can be a key part of the future.
Harry Kane had a miserable time of it, his awful set-pieces almost acting as a symbol for England's struggles, but the 22-year-old Tottenham striker is a class act. He scored 25 Premier League goals last season and has five in 16 England appearances. He will definitely stay in.
Daniel Sturridge is another who stays if he can keep fit but the one shining gem for the future is Manchester United's 18-year-old Marcus Rashford, whose electrifying four minutes against Iceland begged the question about why he was not used earlier.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, he will be an England regular and a potent force for years to come.
Remain: Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, John Stones, Chris Smalling, Kyle Walker, Nathaniel Clyne, Danny Rose, Dele Alli, Adam Lallana, Eric Dier, Ross Barkley, Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge, Marcus Rashford.
Leave
Not too many will be on their way out but one will be Burnley's Tom Heaton. The 30-year-old is a fine keeper but he is now likely to see his England career restricted to the three minutes of action he saw against Australia at Sunderland's Stadium Of Light in May.
Butland will be fit again for the start of the World Cup qualifiers after fracturing his ankle in England's 3-2 win in Germany in March and will come back.
Chelsea's Gary Cahill may be a controversial member of this group, but again he has fallen short at a major tournament. The future of England's central defence must be Smalling and Stones, although the 30-year-old may still provide back up with the likes of Everton captain Phil Jagielka and Manchester United's Phil Jones.
Southampton's Ryan Bertrand is another who failed to make the most of his Euro 2016 opportunity and now faces a fight to keep his place. He started the tournament injured then gave a very nervy display against Slovakia, when his carelessness with his arms in tackles could have seen him receive a red card.
It is now surely the end of the England line for James Milner, the 30-year-old workhorse restricted to a brief appearance as a substitute when he won his 61st cap in the opening game against Russia. He has been a fine, reliable servant for England but it is time for the midfielder to move on.
Jack Wilshere must stay on the outside until he proves he can be welcomed back in. This may seem harsh but he did little else in France than take up a place in the squad.
This should not be considered a criticism of Wilshere. The midfielder was bound to be short of fitness after only playing 141 minutes for Arsenal last season and was another example of Hodgson's folly.
There is every chance the talented 24-year-old will come again - but he must now prove he can play at the highest level for a length of time with the Gunners before he is even considered for England again.
Leave: Tom Heaton, Ryan Bertrand, Gary Cahill, Jack Wilshere, James Milner.
Fighting for membership
There are a few candidates old and new scrapping for inclusion in the future.
At the head of the queue is talented keeper Butland, the 23-year-old who took his game to new levels at Stoke City until that injury in Berlin. If he starts next season he will exert real pressure on the struggling Hart, along with Forster.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson gave a mixed display in England's 0-0 draw against Slovakia and still has to show he is true international class.
And what about Leicester City's Jamie Vardy? Has he got the game to pierce the sort of packed, well-drilled defences he will face with England? He scored against Wales but had no impact once Slovakia sat back in the third group game.
Vardy has every chance to be part of England's future, but to make sure he must start next season in the same sort of form that won him a Premier League title with the Foxes last season.
England have plenty of left-backs but none can lay serious claim to the position, although Danny Rose took the role in France.
Ben Chilwell may not have played a Premier League game for Leicester but the 19-year-old is wanted by Liverpool - and if he is good enough to impress Jurgen Klopp he is sure to be on England's radar once he gets game time.
And let's not forget Manchester United defender Luke Shaw, who was looking certain to make Hodgson's squad for France for before suffering a double leg break in a Champions League defeat at PSV Eindhoven in September.
Southampton's James Ward-Prowse has real promise and captained England Under-21s to triumph for the first time in 22 years at the prestigious Toulon tournament in France, where Chelsea's Ruben Loftus-Cheek ahttp://www.bbc.com/sport/football/36655089
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