Daniel Farke tells James Justin and Jayden Bogle to keep up consistency if Leeds United pair want to play for England
Daniel Farke has told Jayden Bogle and James Justin they must continue their good form to join James Trafford and Dominic Calvert-Lewin in future England squads.
The Leeds United manager was full of praise for Sheffield-born Calvert-Lewin after he became one of a long list of players recalled by Thomas Tuchel after being overlooked for the World Cup.
It had been suggested defenders Justin and Bogle also came into consideration, with Farke bigging up the chances of all his players "with English passports" after Monday's 4-1 win over Newcastle United, and right wing-back Bogle in particular.
Leeds successfully argued this week their second goal in that game should be taken off Bogle and given to Calvert-Lewin, and Farke says he will always be prepared to go away from the club's "side before self" mantra to encourage individuals, but he had a challenge for his two defenders.
"All my players with an English passport are involved in delivering good performances at the moment but you have to do this over a mid- to long-term period," said Farke, whose team host Crystal Palace on Sunday in their last Premier League game before a three-week international break.
"It's early doors in the season and Thomas (Tuchel, England's coach) knows exactly what he needs but if you keep delivering performances like James Justin, for example, who was excellent for us in the recent months and also Jayden Bogle was really good in the last games, you have to show this with consistency.
"If they do this in the future I'm pretty sure they have chances to be in the spotlight like Dominic or James Trafford."
With Ollie Watkins dropped and Ivan Toney on an assault charge, Tuchel has turned back to Calvert-Lewin, who he picked as a substitute against Uruguay in March, then discarded. Calvert-Lewin has four goals in his last four games.
"Dominic at the moment, he's like a good wine which is getting better by the year.
"Physically he's on a top level. He's a very complete striker.
"He's one of the best strikers in this league."
Anton Stach also earned an international recall with Germany this week – although compatriot Fake joked that with Jurgen Klopp naming an astonishing 44 players for his fist international break as manager "even Anton had a chance this time around".
Farke was keen to stress to all his players that individual recognition is a consequence of the part they have played in Leeds' unbeaten start to the Premier League season.
"Everyone who signs a contract for Leeds United has to think about Leeds United and needs to love the badge, not too much the name on the back of the shirt," he stressed. "But of course, football players are human beings, they're not robots.
"They also think about their careers and their families and want to achieve their targets, but there is no (conflict).
"When we are successful as a team, then the individuals can shine. If we are not successful, if we are not delivering altogether, then not one individual player can shine.
"This is what all my players have to learn.
"For example, my strikers, if they just would like to rest and not work against the ball and not lead the pressing, not win the ball back, then it's more difficult to score goals. But if we play on the front foot, if we press with intensity, if we do our job in terms of winning the ball, then we can play in a dominant way, then we can create chances, then my strikers can shine.
"The first step is always to let the team shine and then everyone else can shine.
"It doesn't mean you don't have to think about your individual goal record, for example, but Dominic or Lukas (Nmecha) or our other offensive players know the better they work against the ball, the better they work defensively for the team.
"Football topics are connected. I want my players to shine on both sides, for the team and also for themselves."