ITV Sport's Joe Blake-Turner blogs on the contenders to fill the spot in the England squad vacated by Wayne Bridge
So farewell, then, Wayne Bridge.
The unlucky in love left back joins the likes of Jamie Carragher, Paul Scholes and, er, Chris Sutton – all of whom sailed off into the international sunset before their playing days were over.
With the former Mr Cheryl Tweedy nursing a broken ankle, Fabio Capello suddenly finds himself with a major selection headache. So who are the runners and riders?
Joleon Lescott’s form for Manchester City since his arrival from Everton has been bewildering. The player once rumoured to be on Real Madrid’s radar has since sunk without trace.
The tournament surely comes too soon for the promising Kieran Gibbs – the conservative Capello is unlikely to make him the ‘rabbit out of the hat’ selection that Sven Goran Eriksson enjoyed when plucking Theo Walcott out of Primary school to go to Germany in 2006.
Nicky Shorey has two caps in his cabinet thanks to Steve McClaren, but he has struggled to hold down a first team place at Villa Park and has been out on loan at Fulham and with Championship side Nottingham Forest this season. Not ideal preparation - a long shot at best.
Then there are the ready made solutions already within the squad…
James Milner could fill in, but he has made huge leaps as an attacking threat this season and deserves more than to be reduced to a utility role.
Gareth Barry has spent some of his career at left-back and could do a job there, but shifting him from the midfield holding role he has made his own, would mean a return to the days of the Gerrard/Lampard central midfield mystery saga and surely we’re all bored of that one.
That leaves two clear contenders, the merits of whom will be argued over in the weeks and months to come. Both suddenly find themselves in line for a World Cup starting spot against the USA in just over 3 months time.
Stephen Warnock is arguably one of the most under-appreciated players in the Premiership, Warnock has performed consistently at Blackburn and now Aston Villa since being discarded by Liverpool. Solid and reliable, Capello awarded him his one and only cap to date against Trinidad & Tobago in 2008. He deserves better than to finish his career as a one-cap wonder. The only thing that could stand in his way is injury - he’s currently out with a shin problem.
The second scouser in the frame has a long list of admirers. Leighton Baines moved to Goodison Park in 2007 from Wigan and after a slow start to his Everton career, the 25 year old is now well established as a crucial cog in David Moyes’ well-oiled machine. The Everton manager describes Baines as his ‘most consistent player all season’. Pacey and with a useful free-kick on him, he is yet to win a cap, but that is surely about to change. Baines is in pole position.
England’s left side was a perennial problem prior to the emergence of a couple of likely lads from the academies of Arsenal and Southampton. The monopoly enjoyed by Messrs Cole and Bridge is over and now is the time for someone to stand up and make the position their own. If they do, the fall-out from JT-gate may yet prove to be a blessing in disguise.
And if all else fails, remember Chris Powell? The 40 year old with five caps to his name is still registered as a player with Leicester.
Stranger things have happened.
