What would the England team look like if only players who play for, or have played for, Southampton were to feature?
Southampton Football Club have an excellent reputation for bringing through young English talent, and have boasted a wealth of English players in their time. So many, in fact, that it is possible to compile an entire England SQUAD of players – not just a starting XI.
Here is the full 23-man squad:
Goalkeepers:
Fraser Forster, Alex McCarthy, Stuart Taylor
Defenders:
Luke Shaw, Ryan Bertrand, Matt Targett, Calum Chambers, Nathaniel Clyne
Midfielders:
James Ward-Prowse, Jack Cork, Jake Hesketh, Harrison Reed, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Adam Lallana, Jason Puncheon, Nathan Redmond, Nathan Dyer
Strikers:
Charlie Austin, Jay Rodriguez, Peter Crouch, Sam Gallagher, Rickie Lambert
The squad includes many players very familiar with the England set-up, including Fraser Forster, Ryan Bertrand, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott, who all feature in the current England squad. Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw would likely be in the squad if not for injury and lack of fitness, respectively.
The squad is very top-heavy, featuring 10 midfielders and five strikers, with just five defenders as opposed to the orthodox eight.
12 of the players are still contracted to Southampton, and while many of the others left within the last few seasons (e.g. Lallana, Shaw, Clyne etc.), others either came through the academy, or played for them in their younger years.
Notably, Peter Crouch spent the 2004/05 season with the Saints, making 27 appearances and scoring 12 goals. The current Stoke City man left for Liverpool the next year.
It also features several promising youngsters, such as highly-rated striker Sam Gallagher and midfielders Jake Hesketh and Harrison Reed. The latter two have both made appearances for the club this season. Sam McQueen was another that could have been included, but just missed out.
Potential Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Forster; Shaw, Bertrand, Chambers, Clyne; Cork, Ward-Prowse; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lallana, Walcott; Austin
Substitutes: McCarthy, Targett, Rodriguez, Puncheon, Dyer, Redmond, Crouch
The starting line-up is a relatively strong one. At the back, Forster is the current understudy to Joe Hart in the England goal, while Shaw and Clyne are both staking their claim at left- and right-back respectively.
However, its main weakness is in central defence, with Arsenal youngster Chambers (on loan at Middlesbrough) partnering Bertrand – a left-back by trade.
In midfield, Swansea City midfielder Cork would sit deep alongside Ward-Prowse, with the impressive Lallana ahead of them. The precocious Oxlade-Chamberlain and speed demon Walcott would start on the left and right.
Up front, Austin has been in a rich vein of goalscoring form, and he may hope for an England call-up sooner rather than later.
The likes of Rodriguez, Redmond and Puncheon (amongst others) could all feature in attack off the bench too.
All in all, it is an impressive array of English talent to be connected to one club.
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