Cresswell Misses Out On England Call As Other International Hammers Make World Cup Squads
West Ham United full-back Aaron Cresswell has missed out on an England call-up to this summer’s FIFA World Cup in Russia after manager Gareth Southgate named his 23-man squad on Thursday afternoon.
The Three Lions instead opted for Manchester United’s Ashley Young and Tottenham Hotspur’s Danny Rose as the left-sided defenders, despite the latter appearing only ten times in the Premier League this season.
Cresswell has the most assists for any defender in the English Top-Flight during the 2017/2018 campaign and ended the term strongly, scoring his first goal in over two years in a defeat to Manchester City at London Stadium, and helping David Moyes’ men to two wins from their final three games.
The former Ipswich Town man, who has been capped three times for his nation, all of them coming under Southgate, has also been pivotal in the Irons securing their PL survival, having spent much of the season in a relegation battle.
The squad announcement came just over an hour after West Ham made an announcement of their own, confirming the departure of manager Moyes, in what was a busy day for English football.
There had also been rumours that Cresswell’s teammate and ex-Three Lions International Andy Carroll may have had a slim chance of sneaking into the 23, but this never materialised either.
However, perhaps the biggest news centring around in the East London club in connection to the squad announcement broke on Wednesday and it involved vastly-experienced goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Hart, having endured a torrid term in East London on loan from the Citizens, which saw him lose the No1 spot to Adrian San-Miguel on numerous occasions, and his experience were too, left at home by Southgate, although the call was hailed by many.
The former Middlesbrough boss’ shot-stoppers were instead, Everton’s Jordan Pickford, who let in three against the Irons in Sunday afternoon’s season finale between the two clubs, Jack Butland of recently-relegated Stoke City and Burnley star Nick Pope.
Not granting Cresswell a place on the plane to Russia, the defender list read: youngster Trent Alexander-Arnold, City duo Kyle Walker and John Stones, the aforementioned Young and Rose, Young’s fellow Red Devil Phil Jones, Gary Cahill and Leicester City’s Harry Maguire and Kieran Trippier of Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs duo Eric Dier and Dele Alli, Liverpool and United stars Jordan Henderson, one of two players that could possess the captain’s armband, and Jesse Lingard, Chelsea starlet Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Fabian Delph made up the midfield section.
And no Carroll, just five forwards will be taken to the tournament by the Three Lions and they are skipper candidate Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Raheem Sterling, Arsenal’s Danny Welbeck and Fox Jamie Vardy.
This will be the third major tournament in succession that there has been no West Ham representation in the England squad, ‘keeper Robert Green was the last, acting as a back-up at the 2012 European Championships.
But, elsewhere, there will still be plenty of Claret & Blue at this summer’s tournament as other nations and their managers have been selecting their squads within the last week.
Four of the East Londoners’ first-team stars look to be heading to the competition, the most notable of those being Manuel Lanzini, fresh from his final day brace against the Toffees.
He has kept his position from the last international break, where he scored his maiden goal in a friendly victory over Italy and will be hoping to make the cut when Argentina’s preliminary is trimmed down to 23 by manager Jorge Sampaoli.
Striker Javier Hernandez, fresh from eight PL goals in Claret & Blue this campaign, is his country’s all-time leading goal-scorer and vice-captain, odds-on make it past the preliminary squad he has been selected in for Mexico.
Meanwhile, one country that has named their final 23-man squad is Switzerland, including Hammers midfielder Edimilson Fernandes after he recovered from injury to finish the term in form.
Inter Milan loanee Joao Mario has also been announced in Portugal’s first squad and as a hero of their EURO 2016 triumph, is expected to be a fixture at the tournament, while Senegal captain and Hammers defensive midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate will lead his nation into their first World Cup in nearly two decades in Russia next month.
