Grealish can expect no guarantees – Hodgson

Which is why the biggest talking point of Roy Hodgson’s press briefing ahead of this month’s 
final two qualifiers was not call-ups for uncapped duo Dele Alli and Danny Ings, but the decision by Jack Grealish to pledge his allegiance to the Three Lions.

Last week, Aston Villa’s 20-year-old finally ended months of speculation as to whether he would opt for England or the 
Republic of Ireland, a country for which he qualified through his grandparents.

Hodgson was delighted by the Solihull-born midfielder’s decision, but the England chief yesterday made it clear that Grealish could not now be expected to be fast tracked into the squad.

Instead, any call-up has to be earned by someone who is still awaiting international clearance after turning his back on Ireland despite appearing for the Under-21s.

“I am very pleased,” said Hodgson when asked about Grealish, who has been in fine form for Villa this term. “I think it is the right decision. Frankly, he is English having met him and his father, it is an English family albeit with fairly distant Irish roots.

“I think he has got the talent to be an England player, he has a lot of work to do before that day is concreted. But I was happy that, in a choice between the two countries, he took the bolder decision to try and be an England international.

“I was keen to point out to him and his father that there are no guarantees from my point of view. One thing I can categorically say is that the only way he will get into the England squad is if he is one of the best 23.

“We can’t offer him any sweeteners or bonuses because you have made a decision to play for England.”

Hodgson had been hoping to invite Grealish to train with the rest of the squad next week at 
St James’ Park, but Villa manager Tim Sherwood has rejected the request.

The England manager added: “We are very happy (with Grealish’s decision) but what matters now is how he does for Aston Villa. He has got to play well enough now to make sure he gets into the England squad.

“Tim believes he has a big future, and, from what little I have seen from him because he has been injured, I also think Jack has got a big talent.

“So, it was more a question of compounding what he was hearing from other people.

“All he can do now is confirm that talent by playing week after week for Aston Villa – then the world is your oyster.”

Grealish will be absent from 
St George’s Park next week, but Tottenham midfielder Alli will be there along with Liverpool striker Ings. Also in the squad are fit-again trio Ryan Bertrand, Phil Jones and Adam Lallana.

On 19-year-old Alli, Hodgson said: “He has only just broken into the Tottenham team, but we have been very impressed by what we have seen.

“We are a year away from France so the thinking is it is a good opportunity for him to come with us. With so many midfield players missing through injury, we can get to know him better. Who knows where he will end up. He is a very exciting talent.”

Ings is one of four forwards in the squad with Hodgson having seen the other three – Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and captain Wayne Rooney – all score in the Premier League last weekend.

The former Burnley striker has 13 Under-21 caps to his name and Hodgson is happy to finally have him involved at senior level, adding: “He is someone we followed very closely last year (at Turf Moor) but we didn’t have a chance to bring him in with us because of the Under-21 tournament.

“He was an important member of the Under-21s and we never felt we could rob them to have him with us. Now he is a senior and it is a good opportunity to bring him in – especially now he has been playing at Liverpool and scoring.”

Bertrand, in particular, has a big opportunity to force his way into the reckoning for Euro 2016 following the broken leg suffered by Luke Shaw on Manchester United duty in the Champions League. The left-back is expected to be out for six months, according to United’s manager Louis van Gaal, but Hodgson seems to be planning for next year’s finals without Shaw.

“We were certainly punting on Luke being the (England) left-back and arguably looking to be the best left-back in the tournament,” he said.

“It is a cruel blow, particularly for him. England will survive and he will, too, but at that stage in your career to suffer that type of injury when you have almost had a year of not playing is heart-breaking and we feel for him.”

England squad (v Estonia and Lithuania): Jack Butland, Joe Hart, Tom Heaton, Ryan Bertrand, Gary Cahill, Nathaniel Clyne, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Dele Alli, Ross Barkley, Michael Carrick, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jonjo Shelvey, Raheem Sterling, Danny Ings, Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy, Theo Walcott.