Recently I detailed about how there were some people who felt that Blades defender Jack O’Connell deserved a shot in the England squad.
Well now it appears as though the 26-year-old has got a friend in a rather high place, as Times columnist and former Republic of Ireland international Tony Cascarino has also tipped him to be a part of Gareth Southgate’s next squad.
Speaking after England’s rather uninspiring display against Denmark in midweek, Cascarino detailed what went wrong with England’s performance, and then said who he felt would be the perfect person to help the situation out
“When you think of the pacy attackers in world football such as Eden Hazard and Kylian Mbappé, the idea of [Eric] Dier against them in this formation would not work at all. Someone like Jack O’Connell from Sheffield United would be a much better fit in this formation.”
Should Jack O'Connell be in the England squad?
Yes
No
So in that sense, Cascarino is talking about what he could bring to the defensive side of the ball, whereas my piece was more to do with his attacking prowess and what he can bring to the team. It looks like the more and more we look into the defender that Southgate needs for the future, someone who can help him in both aspects of the game, going forward and at the back.
Hopefully a good start to the season, and O’Connell will get the recognition that he deserves, and not just him of course, but maybe a few other Blades players along the way.
What about you? Do you think that O’Connell will be a part of Southgate’s next England squad?