Aaron Cresswell has caught the eye for West Ham United and will hope to have edged out Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs as England’s understudy to Leighton Baines.
There was a time not all that long ago when Ashley Cole was unchallenged as the undisputed first-choice left-back for England.
He was, however, to see Everton’s Leighton Baines emerge out of his shadow to become the rightful heir to the number three jersey.
The Toffees man is unlikely to enjoy such a comfortable ride, with there a couple of Premier League challengers to his international throne.
Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs has been the obvious choice as understudy, but his struggles with fitness mean that position is yet to be nailed down.
Aaron Cresswell can now be considered a very realistic candidate for inclusion in the next Three Lions squad, having caught the eye for West Ham United.
He has adjusted almost instantly to life among the elite following a switch from Ipswich Town in the summer of 2014.
| Team | Goal Assist | Total Att Assist | Total Cross | Accurate Cross | Total Tackle | Total Contest | Appearances | Mins Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leighton Baines | Everton | 8 | 44 | 101 | 25 | 32 | 40 | 20 | 1,800 |
| Aaron Cresswell | West Ham | 3 | 22 | 79 | 15 | 35 | 22 | 21 | 1,890 |
| Kieran Gibbs | Arsenal | 2 | 11 | 54 | 12 | 30 | 36 | 16 | 1,278 |
The Opta statistics above show that Cresswell can claim to be the closest challenger to Baines in the left-back department.
He has posted better numbers than Gibbs in just about every department for an attacking full-back, with the Arsenal man shading things in terms of dribbles attempted.
It is, however, Roy Hodgson that will make the ultimate decision on their respective value, with England next in action against Lithuania on March 27.
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