LONDON: Four Southampton players are in England’s squad for next week’s Wembley friendly against Denmark after Luke Shaw was called up for the first time by manager Roy Hodgson.
The 18-year-old left-back joins fellow Saints Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and James Rodriguez in a 30-man squad. Other youngsters called up were Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling, 19, and Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, 20.
Cardiff defender Steven Caulker, 22, has been recalled for the first time in more than a year.
Wednesday’s game is England’s last before Hodgson names his squad for this summer’s World Cup in Brazil and the penultimate home friendly ahead of the May 30 game send-off game against Peru.
Shaw, who has played three times for England Under-21s, made his Saints debut at 16 and was linked with both Manchester United and Chelsea.
Hodgson said it was the “right moment” for Shaw to be called up and added: “Anyone who has watched him play would not deny he deserves a place. We are very well off in this position but he wants to compete for a place on the plane to Brazil.”
Hodgson said omitted Adam Johnson, Gareth Barry and Andy Carroll could still win a place in his World Cup squad.
Midfielder Barry, 33, won the last of his 53 England caps in a pre-Euro 2012 friendly against Norway in Oslo. Johnson, 26, has not featured in the national squad since he was an unused substitute against Poland in 2012, but the winger has scored seven goals in his past nine club appearances.
Striker Carroll, 25, last played for England in October 2012 and has made just five appearances for West Ham this season because of a foot injury.
Hodgson said: “It would be very foolish of me in March to give a definitive 30-man squad [for the World Cup]. This is the squad I have chosen for now.
“Andy Carroll has hardly played, Adam Johnson is a player we know and, because of the competition, we have decided not include him in this squad.”
Carroll’s fellow forward Jermain Defoe, who has scored 19 goals in 55 England appearances, retains his place despite leaving Tottenham to join Canadian club Toronto.
Hodgson must name his 30-man squad for the World Cup by 13 May and narrow it down to the final 23 by 2 June.
England squad:
Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion), Joe Hart (Manchester City), John Ruddy (Norwich City).
Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Steven Caulker (Cardiff City), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).
Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal).
Forwards: Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC), Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Jay Rodriguez (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Daniel Welbeck (Manchester United).
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