UNDER Gerard Houllier and then Rafael Benitez, English players showcasing their talent at Liverpool became rarer as the years went on. Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler and Danny Murphy as well as others have lined up in a Liverpool and England shirt in the new millennium.
However, especially under Benitez, there were an increasing number of players brought in from overseas because of the talent to price ratio – players at the same level could be bought for less in countries such as Spain.
That continued until recently, where first Kenny Dalglish and then Brendan Rodgers started to promote more home-grown players into the team.
Dalglish has been found guilty of overspending on the likes of Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing, but he wanted to give Liverpool that national dominance, trying to buy the hottest young English talent as they had in the past. However, the method didn’t really work.
Rodgers hasn’t signed many English players compared to Dalglish, but he has promoted just as many youngsters as the Scot, with arguably greater success. Raheem Sterling is the obvious standout here, but Andre Wisdom and Jordan Ibe are also examples of this.
Furthermore, the one English player Rodgers did sign – Daniel Sturridge – has been on fire and they all illustrate the argument that their contributions outweigh the likes of Carroll and Downing, plus the youngsters Dalglish integrated, such as Jon Flanagan, Jack Robinson and Jay Spearing (Martin Kelly being an exception).
Now whilst Liverpool do not yet possess an English core comparable to the likes of Gerrard, Carragher, Owen and Murphy or other previous generations gone by, there are some extremely gifted players in the squad who could do a job for England come next summer at the World Cup. There will be a few who feel certain of their place in the 23 man squad in 2014, others who believe a top season in this campaign will get them in and a couple of outsiders who, if they can burst into the limelight at Anfield, may be taken as a wildcard by Roy Hodgson – his ‘ace in the hole’.
After all, if Theo Walcott can do it for the 2006 World Cup, why can’t they?
Starting with the certainties – Steven Gerrard is the England captain and there is no doubt, barring injury, that he will not only be on the plane to Brazil next summer, but be one of the first names on the team-sheet at the World Cup. With Glen Johnson it is a little tenser, but as long as he stays fit and on form for the Reds, he will travel to Brazil. Whether he plays in the first team is not a certainty, as Kyle Walker is breathing down his neck. However, after recent performances, Johnson is still edging out Walker and should be first choice right back for the World Cup, with others like Micah Richards not getting a sniff.
Daniel Sturridge will seem like a certainty right now to England fans. If he keeps up the form he has showed so far for Liverpool, then he will be on the plane, regardless of his performances for England, as he is in the top two bracket for English strikers, along with Wayne Rooney. On the other hand, if he starts to slip up at Anfield, his form drops and those over-elaborate attempts become more regular whilst his goalscoring dries up, then he could be in serious trouble.
However, he is probably as safe a bet as Johnson to make Brazil because competition up front isn’t as strong as in other areas. Jermain Defoe is simply not playing enough at Tottenham; Andy Carroll is injured while Jay Rodriguez is not as good as his club mate Rickie Lambert or the others above.
One who may feel he has a serious chance if he continues to perform well is Jordan Henderson. Henderson has quietly gone about his business this season, playing in every league game for Liverpool so far this season and impressing in most of them. He looked like a little boy lost when he arrived for a hefty transfer fee from Sunderland in the summer of 2011, but he has vastly improved since then and his one of the few signings from that era to now come out with credit.
However, not only does he need to play well for Liverpool, but when he gets a chance for England, he really has to show it. At Anfield there are regular games where he can maintain a slow, but steady improvement and progression. There is no such luxury with England. If he has a poor game he will be out and probably will not make the squad, while if he plays normally he may struggle too. He needs to be outstanding to stake a serious claim to one of those midfield spots in the squad for Brazil.
This is because Hodgson seems to favour Tom Cleverley, who continues to baffle most fans with his mediocre performances yet is seen as an upcoming world-class star by managers. Moreover, there are outstanding young players coming through, such as Adam Lallana, who impressed against Germany and Chile in patches, plus others such as Ravel Morrison further down the pipeline.
Nevertheless, crucially Henderson is a different player to those above – less skilful, but can do all of the dirty work for the team whilst providing astute passes and helping to keep the team ticking over. He has an engine comparable to Germans and Spaniards, who can close the opposition down in packs in a flash due to their fitness. Henderson has that, and with those abilities, plus some consistent form and memorable performances in the future, he could yet make the 23 man squad.
He has played for England before, but the next level has eluded Raheem Sterling. Having featured prominently in the first half of last season for Liverpool, he was rested for much of the second half because of potential burn-out due to his age. Since then however, he hasn’t managed to get back into the first team because others have jumped ahead, with the likes of Coutinho and Sturridge maximising their potential in the new formation under Rodgers.
Therefore being on the plane to Brazil must feel like a distant, faint dream. If he can get back into the team somehow, then he may have an outside chance of making the England squad, especially if he can impress for the Under-21s. Nevertheless, it will almost certainly be too soon for the youngster, and definitely too soon for others like Jordan Ibe.
Just with a little bit of hindsight here, spare a thought for Martin Kelly. He was steadily coming up the ranks at Liverpool before his ruptured cruciate knee ligament injury in October 2012. Before that, he was an upcoming and serious threat to Johnson at right back for club and even country. Therefore, had he stayed fit, he could well have been in place for a spot on the plane to Brazil. Unfortunately, Kelly will barely have played enough games for Liverpool to be even considered or a friendly squad, let alone a World Cup equivalent. Aaron Ramsey should be Kelly’s inspiration at club level.
Overall, Gerrard, Johnson and Sturridge are all likely to make the England squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with Gerrard being the most likely. Henderson is one who has realistic aspirations to make it should he have a good season and in my opinion he will join the three above in Brazil to take on the best teams in the world, all vying for football’s greatest prize.
Liverpool may not have a legendary English core anymore, but they have a sizeable contingent that is on their way to Brazil.
It’s also one that could increase in the future under the tutelage of Rodgers.
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com
Follow us on Twitter here: @live4Liverpool and ‘Like’ us on Facebook
