PARDS & GERRARD BACK JAY FORTHE WORLD CUP
Mignolet 5, Alexander-Arnold 6, Matip 5, Van Dijk 5, Moreno 4, Can 4 (Milner 65, 6), Wijnaldum 5, OxladeChamberlain 5 (Ings 65, 6), Salah 7, Mane 6 (Henderson 65, 5) Firmino 8
Foster 8, Nyom 6, Dawson 8, Evans 7, Gibbs 6 (Hegazi 37, 7), Barry 7 (Yacob 71, 6), Livermore 6, Krychowiak 7, Brunt 6, Robson-Kanu 6 (Phillips 39, 6), Rodriguez 8 JAY RODRIGUEZ (WEST BROM) mirror.co.uk/sport/football JAY RODRIGUEZ is back – and on course to fulfil his impossible World Cup dream after destroying Liverpool. That is the verdict of his manager Alan Pardew (top), who believes his striker is showing the form to catapult him back into the England set-up. TV pundit Steven Gerrard (above) insisted after the clash at Anfield that Rodriguez is back to the level which won him an England cap in 2013, and the West Brom manager added: “It’s nice of Steven to say that. Jay is definitely starting to find his feet. “I don’t know if he is at that level yet, but if he plays like that until the end of the season he will have a shout of getting into the squad. “He was terrific against Liverpool. He’s got that ability to produce a class finish. He has an assured confidence which I like about him. “Jay doesn’t get flustered or frustrated, and deserved the man of the match award.” Rodriguez’s international dreams were destroyed by a knee injury he picked up just months after his debut, which sidelined him for 16 months. The striker has fought valiantly to get back to his best, and finally seems to be approaching the form which had inspired the interest of the big six clubs when he emerged at Southampton. And he still has dreams of picking up the pieces of his England career, saying: “You’d be lying if you were a player and never thought there is a World Cup at the end of the season and you weren’t looking towards that. “You’ve got to aspire to the highest level and that is representing your country at a World Cup. For me that is an amazing dream. “To get there I have to continue to work hard. “It’s amazing Steven Gerrard said that. He is a legend and you look do up to players like that. I’m chuffed about that. “But I can only do what I can affect and that is playing games, training and trying to improve points of my game that I can. “I have a lot of improving still to do and I will continue to do that in my career.”