Antonio in, Barkley out as Allardyce names 1st England squad
- by Grant Boone
- in Sports
- — Aug 29, 2016
However, there were recalls for Danny Drinkwater, a midfielder with English champions Leicester City, defenders Phil Jagielka (Everton) and Luke Shaw (Manchester United), as well as Arsenal's Theo Walcott after they all failed to make it into former England manager Roy Hodgson's squad in France. "It's a fantastic journey that he's been on, from non-league to now an global call-up".
New England boss, Sam Allardyce has named his first squad as the Three Lions coach and has snubbed the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jack Wilshere.
Vardy, who scored his first league goal of the season in yesterday's 2-1 win over Swansea City at the King Power Stadium, is one of just three strikers named in the squad. "Hopefully I can get the call up as well".
"I'm overwhelmed. I got slightly emotional when I found out", he told West Ham TV. "I turned down an approach from Jamaica in March and for this to happen so quickly, I'm buzzing!" He scored nine goals in his first season and he's a terrific athlete, a good crosser and a goal-scorer.
Allardyce, who signed N'Zonzi for Blackburn Rover in 2009, admitted the Sevilla midfielder was "of interest" to his England plans, but the 27-year-old's appearance for France at under-21 level, earned in a match against Belgium in 2009, means he is unavailable.
"All I can do is go out there on the worldwide stage and show there is a reason why the gaffer has called me up".
John Stones also makes the list after his £47m move from Everton to Manchester City earlier this month, and there is a return for Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw who spent most of the previous year out injured after breaking his leg in a Champions league match at PSV.
Drinkwater will be battling for a midfield place with the likes of Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Adam Lallana and Wayne Rooney, who has been listed as a midfielder in Big Sam's first squad. There may be a time when it gets a bit sticky, when he doesn't agree with me or I don't agree with him.
But new England boss Allardyce has not been put off by his indifferent defensive displays and will surely use him in attack where he impressed mostly last season.
John Terry's name was unsurprisingly absent from the announcement.
