Villa Stars Get England Backing

Dunne: Young Will Make World Cup Squad

From Vital England:

Ashley Young's England career seemed to be coming along very nicely, although recently he has slipped away from Fabio Capello's plans with his Villa teammate James Milner seemingly now ahead of him?

Another of his Villa teammates Richard Dunne, who could still make South Africa with Ireland, has told sky sports that he feels Young will get back in and stay there - as will Gabriel Agbonlahor: 'I can see Ashley getting back in the England squad. By the time the World Cup comes around in June, he will be in the squad, himself and Gabby.

'It is a big squad, the England squad, and it is a tough one to get into to but those two have definitely got the ability to get in it.'

Dunne is settling well into life at Villa Park, but having only signed for Villa on the final day of the summer transfer window he knows all to well from playing against Young how much of a handful he can be and that is why he feels he will force his way back in.

He also believes that Young needs to draw from the fact that Agbonlahor has forced his way back in having previously been left out of squad.

Full article: England - Dunne: Young will make it.

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O'Neill: You Can Count On Mr Versatile

From Vital England:

James Milner appears to be someone that Fabio Capello seems pretty keen on having named him in the past, what 4 or 5 squads I think it is?

Capello has been using Milner mostly on the left, despite being primarily a right sided player, and when he came on against Belarus last week he even played at left back!

It is his versatility to play in a variety of positions that his Villa manager Martin O'Neill feels, as he told sky sports, will see him go to the world cup: 'the England manager has proved himself to be a winning manager for many years and decided to play James at left-back for the last 15 minutes against Belarus.

'I am not so sure that is something he would see as a regular occurrence. But James has played right-back for us so I think, between us and England, he just has the goalkeeping position to go to complete the entire set.

'Will that versatility get Milner into World Cup squad? I don't think it would do any player any harm.'

He can quite literally, and has, played all across the midfield for Villa and as a right back as O'Neill says. We have seen him play on the left and at left back for England and with Leeds he had played up front, so clearly this is a feather in his cap.

I do think that Milner has a fine chance of making the final 23, I would have liked him to had started that game against Belarus though and was surprised when he did not but it his 10 minute or so cameo he did himself no harm, and from his left back position!

Full article: England - count on Mr versatile.

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