Southgate opens World Cup door to Defoe
LONDON: England manager Gareth Southgate said there was no reason why Jermain Defoe could not play at next year’s World Cup after he marked his international comeback with a goal.
Sunderland striker Defoe, 34, scored the opener as England toiled to a 2- 0 qualifying win over Lithuania on Sunday, following close to three and a half years in the international wilderness.
He has scored 14 goals for Sunderland in the Premier League this season, but he also owed his international recall to the absences through injury of Harry Kane and Daniel Sturridge.
“I think we’ve got to look every time we get together as to who is in form,” Southgate told reporters at Wembley.
“I don’t know if we can have a distinct pecking order because players who are playing well deserve the opportunity. If we are going to be successful, we have to have that competition for places.
“The reality is we will always lose players to injury. We’re never able to pick a full cohort, so it’s important we can call upon the likes of Jermain and he can have the impact he does like he did today.
“If he scores like he is in the Premier League, there’s no reason why he wouldn’t be ( picked for the World Cup).”
Defoe’s 20th international goal arrived in the 22nd minute as he directed a side- foot shot past Ernestas Setkus following a burst down the left by Raheem Sterling.
Substitute Jamie Vardy notched the hosts’ second in the 66th minute, finishing coolly after being set up by Adam Lallana’s exquisite flicked pass.
Sterling and Lallana were given freedom to roam alongside Dele Alli in England’s 4-2- 3-1 system and Southgate hai led their contributions.
“He’s a player we really like,” Southgate said of Manchester City winger Sterling. “We don’t have a lot of players in the country who can beat people in one-versus- one situations and he’s explosive in those types of areas. — AFP