Dele Alli gets England call up

Tottenham Hotspur teenage midfielder, Dele Alli, has been called into England’s squad for the first time for the final two Euro 2016 qualifiers against Estonia and Lithuania in October.

The 19-year-old, whose father is Nigerian and also eligible to play for the Super Eagles has represented England at every level from Under-17s upwards, joined Spurs from Milton Keynes Dons for £5 million ($7.57 million) earlier this year.

Alli has made just three Barclays Premier League starts but has been included amid injuries to regular central midfielders Jordan Henderson and Jack Wilshere.

England manager, Roy Hodgson, has explained why he has called Alli up to the senior international so soon in his career.

“Dele is someone we have followed very closely,” said Hodgson.

“He was an important member of the England U21 side and we didn’t feel we could rob them of him.

“Now he is a senior and this is an opportunity to bring him in now that he has been playing and scoring some goals.

“He is the most offbeat one in the sense that he’s so young and only just broken into the Tottenham team.

“But we’re a year away from France and we’re thinking there’s a good opportunity for him to come with us with so many midfield players missing and we can get to know him a bit better because who knows where he will end up going forward because he is a very exciting talent.”

England have already qualified for the finals in France next year following eight straight Group E wins and Hodgson said he was taking both games seriously because he wanted to finish with a perfect record of 10 victories.

“I think the game in Lithuania will be the one where if any experimentation or changes take place it will be there, which might damage our chances of getting the perfect 10 but I am prepared to accept that,” he said.

England play Estonia at Wembley on October 9 and visit Lithuania three days later.

THE SQUAD

Goalkeepers

Jack Butland (Stoke City), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley)

Defenders

Ryan Bertrand (Southampton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Everton)

Midfielders

Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Ross Barkley (Everton), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), James Milner (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Jonjo Shelvey (Swansea City)

Forwards

Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Danny Ings (Liverpool), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal)