Darren Bent thinks the competition could be too tough for Everton’s James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to make England’s final World Cup squad.
Thomas Tuchel will soon name his latest England squad for the March friendlies at the end of this month.
Is James Garner good enough to be playing for England at the World Cup? 🏴
Thomas Tuchel has not called him up to a squad yet…
ames Garner of Everton applauds during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton at Molineux.
Credit: Getty Images/Simon Stacpoole/Offside.
Usually, these March squads provide a good indication as to who could be in the final squad for the World Cup.
After a string of amazing performances for Everton, there has been real clamour for James Garner to earn a maiden call-up.
The likelihood is that he’ll probably get one. But for Darren Bent, a place in the final World Cup squad will be a stretch.
Darren Bent insists England competition is too strong for James Garner and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall ahead of World Cup
James Garner playing for Everton.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
On Tuesday, Bent chose the England squad he would take to this summer’s World Cup.
Before naming his squad, he stated that he didn’t feel Garner would be in simply because he won’t have enough time to prove himself at international level.
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He said on talkSPORT: “First of all, I’m going to give a couple of shout outs. I’m looking at James Garner. I think he’s been brilliant for Everton. Really good.
“I just don’t think there’s enough time. But I think he’s been outstanding.
“I think it would be incredibly difficult, just because there’s an overload.”
Bent also stated that Garner’s Everton teammate Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, will probably also miss out.
He added: “He, for Everton, has been outstanding. But again he plays in that position, that 10 role, where we’ve got too many.”
Garner and Dewsbury-Hall up against it
We’ll see what happens, but it will certainly be difficult for Garner and Dewsbury-Hall to go the World Cup.
Neither player has any experience yet of playing for the national team and while this should not be a reason for Thomas Tuchel to overlook them, it would probably help their causes if they already had a few caps each.
Thomas Tuchel looks on.
Photo by Eddie Keogh – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
They’ll both probably be called up for the March friendlies by Tuchel. If they aren’t then something is badly wrong because both deserve to be.
But regarding them going to the World Cup, both Garner and Dewsbury-Hall would have to play out of their skin, you’d feel, against Uruguay and Japan.
As Bent points out, competition is so strong and there is an overload of players in the midfield positions who have been on the scene for longer.
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