Post by Salem6 on May 20, 2004 8:39:06 GMT
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has named his 23-man squad for Euro 2004 this summer in Portugal.
Ledley King and Jamie Carragher have been selected as centre-back cover, while in midfield Chelsea's Joe Cole was chosen ahead of Scott Parker.
Up front Aston Villa's Darius Vassell was picked in front of Tottenham's in-form striker Jermain Defoe.
Eriksson said: "Hopefully they will all stay fit - if they do I think we have a very, very good team."
The England coach added: "I think we are lucky this time, more lucky than we were before the World Cup. In the days before we came together before the 2002 World Cup Gary Neville and Steven Gerrard were out.
"To go far in a tournament, to reach a final or win a final, you must be lucky both with injuries and in the games. So I am very confident.
"If they stay fit before and during the tournament I think we have a very good squad and I look forward to it very much."
Eriksson can make changes up until 2 June, but after that can only draft new faces in if there are fresh injuries.
Gareth Southgate had hoped to recover from injury in time to go to Portugal, but is on standby if any of Eriksson's first-choice defenders are injured.
Defoe, along with Matthew Upson, Alan Smith, Richard Wright and Parker are also on standby.
Eriksson has decided Defoe will accompany the 23-man squad to a training camp in Sardinia and will be available for the pre-tournament friendlies.
Middlesbrough's Ugo Ehiogu will be disappointed, as will Manchester United's Wes Brown, that King and Carragher were selected.
But Eriksson praised Carragher as a player "who will always will stand up and fight for you if you need him."
He added: "You can't have experience, you have to achieve it, but Carragher and King are playing week in and week out and they are good enough to be in," Eriksson said.
"I was tempted to go with a fifth striker but we have Kieron Dyer and Joe Cole who are both able to play as a second striker.
"Defoe knows he is number 24 but if anything happens to the 23 he might come in.
"He is a young lad and it is good for him to be with us and even if he is not going to Portugal it will be good experience for him to travel with the squad."
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England's Euro 2004 squad:
Goalkeepers: David James (Man City), Paul Robinson (Tottenham), Ian Walker (Leicester)
Defenders: Gary Neville (Man Utd), Phil Neville (Man Utd), Ashley Cole (Arsenal), Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Sol Campbell (Arsenal), John Terry (Chelsea), Ledley King (Tottenham), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool).
Midfielders: David Beckham (Real Madrid), Paul Scholes (Man Utd), Nicky Butt (Man Utd), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Kieron Dyer (Newcastle), Joe Cole (Chelsea)
Strikers: Michael Owen (Liverpool), Emile Heskey (Liverpool), Darius Vassell (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Everton).
Standby: Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Richard Wright (Everton), Matthew Upson (Birmingham), Gareth Southgate (Middlesbrough), Scott Parker (Chelsea), Alan Smith (Leeds).
Video:-
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson
"We're good enough to win Euro 2004"
news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/40162000/rm/_40162659_sport_svennb_vi.ram
England assistant coach Steve McClaren
"The experience of this squad from two years ago will be a big help"
news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/40163000/rm/_40163033_sport_mcclaren_nb_vi.ram
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/england/37142
Ledley King and Jamie Carragher have been selected as centre-back cover, while in midfield Chelsea's Joe Cole was chosen ahead of Scott Parker.
Up front Aston Villa's Darius Vassell was picked in front of Tottenham's in-form striker Jermain Defoe.
Eriksson said: "Hopefully they will all stay fit - if they do I think we have a very, very good team."
The England coach added: "I think we are lucky this time, more lucky than we were before the World Cup. In the days before we came together before the 2002 World Cup Gary Neville and Steven Gerrard were out.
"To go far in a tournament, to reach a final or win a final, you must be lucky both with injuries and in the games. So I am very confident.
"If they stay fit before and during the tournament I think we have a very good squad and I look forward to it very much."
Eriksson can make changes up until 2 June, but after that can only draft new faces in if there are fresh injuries.
Gareth Southgate had hoped to recover from injury in time to go to Portugal, but is on standby if any of Eriksson's first-choice defenders are injured.
Defoe, along with Matthew Upson, Alan Smith, Richard Wright and Parker are also on standby.
Eriksson has decided Defoe will accompany the 23-man squad to a training camp in Sardinia and will be available for the pre-tournament friendlies.
Middlesbrough's Ugo Ehiogu will be disappointed, as will Manchester United's Wes Brown, that King and Carragher were selected.
But Eriksson praised Carragher as a player "who will always will stand up and fight for you if you need him."
He added: "You can't have experience, you have to achieve it, but Carragher and King are playing week in and week out and they are good enough to be in," Eriksson said.
"I was tempted to go with a fifth striker but we have Kieron Dyer and Joe Cole who are both able to play as a second striker.
"Defoe knows he is number 24 but if anything happens to the 23 he might come in.
"He is a young lad and it is good for him to be with us and even if he is not going to Portugal it will be good experience for him to travel with the squad."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
England's Euro 2004 squad:
Goalkeepers: David James (Man City), Paul Robinson (Tottenham), Ian Walker (Leicester)
Defenders: Gary Neville (Man Utd), Phil Neville (Man Utd), Ashley Cole (Arsenal), Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Sol Campbell (Arsenal), John Terry (Chelsea), Ledley King (Tottenham), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool).
Midfielders: David Beckham (Real Madrid), Paul Scholes (Man Utd), Nicky Butt (Man Utd), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Kieron Dyer (Newcastle), Joe Cole (Chelsea)
Strikers: Michael Owen (Liverpool), Emile Heskey (Liverpool), Darius Vassell (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Everton).
Standby: Jermain Defoe (Tottenham), Richard Wright (Everton), Matthew Upson (Birmingham), Gareth Southgate (Middlesbrough), Scott Parker (Chelsea), Alan Smith (Leeds).
Video:-
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson
"We're good enough to win Euro 2004"
news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/40162000/rm/_40162659_sport_svennb_vi.ram
England assistant coach Steve McClaren
"The experience of this squad from two years ago will be a big help"
news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/40163000/rm/_40163033_sport_mcclaren_nb_vi.ram
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/england/37142