West Bromwich Albion forward Jay Rodriguez could be recalled by England.
According to The Telegraph, England manager Gareth Southgate is eyeing a call-up for West Bromwich Albion forward Jay Rodriguez – and has asked Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino for his verdict.
Southgate saw his side claim unconvincing 1-0 wins over Slovenia and Lithuania over the international break, with the six points sealing England’s place in the 2018 World Cup.
England must attempt to find some sort of fluency before heading to Russia next summer, and Southgate will be spending the next six months scouring the country for talent.
Jay Rodriguez of West Bromwich Albion scores against Stoke City
Now, The Telegraph report that Southgate is lining up a recall for West Bromwich Albion forward Jay Rodriguez, almost four years since his only call-up.
Rodriguez, went through an injury hell since his last England call-up in 2013, and in a bid to get his career back on track, he left Southampton to join West Brom this past summer, where he has scored once in eight Premier League games.
It’s believed that Southgate was watching Rodriguez in action for West Brom at Leicester City on Monday night, but he has allegedly asked Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino for his verdict too.
Not only did Pochettino work with Rodriguez at Southampton, taking charge of his 17-goal campaign in the 2013-14 season, but he has attempted to reunite with him at Tottenham on two occasions.
Despite his injury, Pochettino wanted to lure Rodriguez to Tottenham in 2014 (BBC Sport), whilst the London Evening Standard reported in January of this year that Spurs had failed with a move for the attacker.
Pochettino is clearly a massive fan of the former Burnley man, and his response to Southgate could play a huge part in the England manager’s thinking over a potential recall for Rodriguez.
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