Southgate keeps tabs on Redmond and Smith

Gareth Southgate, the England manager, is casting his net beyond the squad regulars he has inherited and looked closely at Southampton’s Nathan Redmond and Bournemouth’s Adam Smith with a view to potential call-ups if injuries strike his squad next week.

Southgate names his squad for the World Cup qualifier against Scotland and the friendly against Spain today and he is expected to recall Jack Wilshere, who would be back in for the first time since the European Championship.

Redmond, 22, (right) has been named in Aidy Boothroyd’s under-21s squad to play Italy and France but was close to a place among the seniors and is on standby. The winger, who has been converted to a striker at Saints, played extensively in the under-21s under Southgate and has made good progress. Smith, 25, a former Spurs trainee, is considered the next right-back after Kyle Walker and Nathaniel Clyne despite Southgate selecting Glen Johnson against Malta and Slovenia. He played through the junior levels with England, as well as the under-21s, but never managed a run at Spurs and joined Bournemouth in 2013. Wilshere is back, with Southgate’s assistant Sammy Lee at Bournemouth’s defeat to Sunderland. Southgate attended Burnley’s victory over Crystal Palace to monitor Michael Keane, Andros Townsend and goalkeeper Tom Heaton. Wilshere was left out by Sam Allardyce for his one game in charge, against Slovakia, and Southgate did not select the midfielder last month.

Among those vulnerable are Chris Smalling, who has not played for Manchester United since their 4-0 defeat by Chelsea on Oct 23. Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson, another Under-21 who played for Southgate, is a possibility for the centre-halves. In midfield Middlesbrough’s Adam Forshaw is a player Southgate has looked at closely.

Phil Jagielka was selected by Southgate for the last squad. He accepted his place was under threat from the younger generation: “I understood Roy Hodgson’s reasons for not taking too many centre-halves to the Euros. Even John Stones didn’t get a minute on the pitch, so there would have been zero chance of me getting any game-time. It was the right decision.

“As far as going forward is concerned, I couldn’t honestly tell you. With Michael Keane doing really well at Burnley and forcing himself into the squad, I know that if many more young centre-halves come through then there isn’t much of a future for me.

“Having said that, I am sure I’m still handy enough to have around at certain times, and that might be my role in the future.”