Jermain Defoe:Desperate England recall striker aged 34

Jermain Defoe: England recall Sunderland striker aged 34

• 4 hours ago
• From the section Football

Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe has been recalled to the England squad.
The 34-year-old won the most recent of his 55 England caps against Chile in November 2013.
Uncapped Southampton duo Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse are also selected, as is 19-year-old Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford.
Gareth Southgate's side face Germany away in a friendly on 22 March before a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania at Wembley on 26 March.
West Brom midfielder Jake Livermore, who made his sole international appearance against Italy in 2012, returns to the squad.
Burnley defender Michael Keane and West Ham winger Michail Antonio - both of whom are uncapped - are also selected.
Southgate has also called up Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw, who has made two appearances since December, and Everton midfielder Ross Barkley.
Defoe has scored 14 Premier League goals this season, the second most by any English player behind Tottenham striker Harry Kane (19).
He has scored 19 times for England since making his debut against Sweden in 2004.
"You can have the young players who are hungry and the old players who are hungry as well," Southgate told the England website.

"I think we can't just look at young players all the time. I think we have to get results now and also plan for the future."
Kane is missing after injuring his ankle against Millwall on Sunday, while captain Wayne Rooney is absent with a leg injury.
Southgate said there was "a chance" Rooney would be fit for Manchester United's Premier League game against Middlesbrough on Sunday.
"The injury, coupled with the fact he's not really had a lot of game time recently and others have, has sort of determined my decision on that one," he added.
Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge is also absent through injury, while Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has not been selected.
"Theo has a really valid claim for being included," said Southgate. "I didn't see him featuring in the games this week and I needed to look at one or two other players that I don't know too much about."

 

Have to agree with the headline "Desperate England"

 

Looking a bit thin up front, Defoe, Rashford & Vardy.

 

Watford will be pleased!

 

.....and it all happened on a Thursday!

 

Thing is, Defoe gets goals wherever he's been. Sure he's a bit of a knob, but I think he's been a pretty good professional throughout his career. Not his fault that there isn't younger cover for those injured.

 

Which is the point I was trying to make
Too many foreigners and not enough homegrown players
Boo

 

Goes to show how thin on the ground the Premier League is for English players and forwards in particular.......this is what happens when good youngsters are hoarded by a few clubs and sent out on loan to lower league clubs to learn their trade, when they return to the parent club they have next to no chance of actually progressing to the 1st team because the manager/owner wants to buy the latest marque signing, because taking a punt on a youngster is too much of a gamble and would jeapardise there chances of a top 4 finish.......

Look at Chelsea, they let Lukaku go out on loan for a couple of seasons, (I know he's not English) then decide to sell him as he's considered not good enough when they bought Costa, now the rumour is they want to buy him back having to pay way more than when they sold him........

It's a bad state of play when a 34 year old gets a recall........

 

Why not try lower league strikers?

 

Age is but a number, 14 PL goals, fit as a fiddle, deserves his place in my book.

 

how dare you suggest such a thing

 

isn't Defoe one of the form strikers at present? If so give him a game and it might just shake up the younger players that aren't playing well enough to be considered. Plus - someone like young Rashford can only learn from a player that has spent the majority of his career in the top flight scoring goals regularly throughout his career

 

Defoe is the best natural goalscorer of his generation, give him the service and he'll score the goals. As you say, Rashford would learn so much from him...

 

How the hell is luke shaw selected for the squad

 

I am. He's a model pro in good form. Should have been recalled ages ago. Well done Southgate for not continuing to fanny about with Walcott and Rooney.