Burnley defender James Tarkowski made his debut at Wembley in a 1-1 draw with Italy on Tuesday.
James Tarkowski came through his England debut with flying colours as England and Italy played out a 1-1 draw thanks to goals from Jamie Vardy and a VAR awarded penalty by Lorenzo Insigne.
Unfortunately for the Burnley man, it was his contact in the area on Federico Chiesa that led to the penalty being awarded, but Tarkowski can come away from the game without too much disappointment considering his excellent showing throughout the rest of the game.
The 25-year-old joined Burnley from Brentford in 2016 and has not looked back since, growing to become one of the most consistent defenders in the Premier League under Sean Dyche’s Clarets side.
“To play at Wembley for your country in front of a packed house in games like that, I don’t think you can ask for a bigger occasion,” the defender said.
“If it’s in the summer or over the next few years I’ll be more than happy to play for my country again.
“I’ve had a great nine or 10 days with them and really enjoyed myself and hopefully I’ll get that opportunity again at some point.”
Given the current England centre-back situation, the positions in the heart of defence are definitely up for grabs. With the likes of Kyle Walker being deployed in a central position in the recent friendlies, Tarkowski’s experience would set him apart in terms of selection for competitive games, with John Stones, Harry Maguire, Gary Cahill and Phil Jones as his real competition.
The list above contains some fairly accomplished players, but none jump out as being certain picks over Tarkowski based on current form.
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