World Cup 2010: England squad and player profiles

ENGLAND WORLD CUP SQUAD
GOALKEEPERS
Robert Green (West Ham United), Joe Hart (Manchester City), David James (Portsmouth)
DEFENDERS
Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Rio Ferdinand(c) (Manchester United), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur), John Terry (Chelsea), Matthew Upson (West Ham United), Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)
MIDFIELDERS
Gareth Barry (Manchester City), Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Joe Cole (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur), James Milner (Aston Villa), Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City)
FORWARDS
Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Emile Heskey (Aston Villa), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)


PROFILES
GOALKEEPERS
Robert Green (West Ham United)
DOB: 18.01.80
Debut v Colombia on 31.05.05, won 3-2
Record: 10 caps (0 goals)
Likely first choice, having played in all but one of England's final five qualifiers as well as starting the warm-up match against Mexico. Green only missed the final qualifier against Belarus after being suspended having become the first England goalkeeper in history to be sent off in a match against Ukraine. Played in all 38 league games in 2009-10, keeping eight clean sheets to help his club West Ham to beat the drop narrowly.

Joe Hart (Manchester City)
19.04.87
Debut v Trinidad & Tobago on 01.06.08, won 3-0
3 caps (0 goals)
At just 23, Hart is the youngest player in the squad by three days from Aaron Lennon. A prestigious talent signed by Manchester City from Shrewsbury Town, but loaned to Birmingham City for 2009-10, having made his England debut the previous summer as a half time substitute. Helped the Blues to their highest league finish for 51 years with a series of strong performances and featured as an unused sub for three of the qualifiers. Received his second and third caps, again as a half time substitute, in the World Cup warm-up matches against Mexico and Japan.

David James (Portsmouth)
01.08.70
Debut v Mexico on 29.03.97, won 2-0
50 caps (0 goals)
The veteran goalkeeper has never entirely convinced throughout his career, gaining the nickname 'Calamity' after a series of high-profile errors when playing for Liverpool in the 1990s. Enjoyed a renaissance in recent times, winning the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008 and reaching another Cup final in 2010 but he was also relegated with them this year and, more importantly, he ended up playing second fiddle to Green in the qualifiers.

DEFENDERS
Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)
28.01.78
Debut v Hungary on 28.04.99, drew 1-1
35 caps (0 goals)
Only recently reversed his 2007 decision to retire from international football after being convinced by Capello and his assistant Franco Baldini. Has been picked due to his ability to provide back-up at right-back as well as in his preferred position at centre-back but, now aged 32, struggles to deal with pace. Missed the 2002 World Cup through injury but played in Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006.

Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
20.12.80
Debut v Albania on 28.03.01, won 3-1
78 caps (0 goals)
Lampooned by opposition fans at club level for his transfer from Arsenal to Chelsea which earned him the nickname 'Cashley' and for the failure of his marriage to pop star Cheryl Tweedy after his infidelity. Neverthless, 29-year-old Cole is an excellent, highly experienced left-back, adept at supporting an attack and rarely found wanting defensively. First choice as far back as World Cup 2002, Cole then played every minute of England's campaigns in Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006.

Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
07.11.78
Debut v Cameroon on 15.11.97, won 2-0
78 caps (3 goals)
Appointed captain following John Terry's downfall earlier this year. That represents quite a turnaround for Ferdinand after he was forced to miss Euro 2004 due to an eight-month ban for failing to attend a drugs test. Ferdinand was chosen though not played at World Cup 1998 but he was first choice in both World Cup 2002 and 2006. A series of blunders early in this season, notably against Holland and Ukraine in an England shirt, and against Manchester City for United, left his first team place in some doubt but he returned to form in the second half of the season.

Glen Johnson (Liverpool)
23.08.84
Debut v Denmark on 16.11.03, lost 2-3
22 caps (1 goal)
Attacking full-back blessed with great pace though sometimes he is forced to use this asset to cover his deficiencies at the back. Signed for Liverpool from Portsmouth last summer for £18 million and has since become a first choice member of the national team, notablysetting up four goals in the 6-0 win over Andorra. Scored his first England goal, a fine curling effort with his left foot, in a World Cup warm-up match against Mexico at Wembley.

Ledley King (Tottenham Hotspur)
12.10.80
Debut v Italy on 27.03.02, lost 1-2
20 caps (1 goal)
Will provide defensive back-up despite an incurable knee injury which can swell up after games, affecting his training and usually stopping him from playing more than once a week. However, he played twice in four days at the end of the season against Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City, which Spurs won to secure a Champions League place, convincing Capello to give him a place in the squad. Scored his first international goal in the warm-up match against Mexico but was less than convincing at the back. Also holds the Premier League record for the fastest goal, scored in 10.2 seconds in a 3-3 draw against Bradford City in 2000.

John Terry (Chelsea)
07.12.80
Debut v Croatia 20.08.03, won 3-1
60 caps (6 goals)
Dropped as captain in February this year following tabloid allegations of a number of affairs but seen as far too valuable by Capello to be omitted from the first team altogether. Terry is a lynchpin at the back for Chelsea where he remains captain, winning the Double this year to wipe away his famous tears after he missed a decisive penalty in the 2008 Champions League final against Manchester United in Moscow. Played every minute of England's World Cup campaign in 2006.

Matthew Upson (West Ham United)
18.04.79
Debut v South Africa on 22.05.03, won 2-1
19 caps (1 goal)
Another player who Capello has brought back into the international fold after he was frozen out by Steve McLaren. Chosen in the squad as defensive back-up despite playing in a struggling West Ham team this season and not appearing in either warm-up match against Mexico or Japan. Upson did play his part in qualifying, however, making five appearances including a full 90-minute showing in the 5-1 win over Croatia at Wembley.

Stephen Warnock (Aston Villa)
12.12.81
Debut v Trinidad & Tobago on 01.06.08, won 3-0
1 cap (0 goals)
Curious choice as reserve left-back, having made his sole England appearance exactly two years ago today against Trinidad & Tobago. However, Warnock enjoyed a strong season at Aston Villa and Capello clearly preferred him to the other candidate, Leighton Baines, after the Everton player admitted homesickness and produced a poor performance in the warm-up against Mexico.

MIDFIELDERS
Gareth Barry (Manchester City)
23.02.81
Debut v Ukraine on 31.05.00, won 2-0
36 caps (2 goals)
Passed a late fitness test to take his place in the squad. The fact that Capello was willing to wait on his fitness until the last minute proves how much the Italian rates the Manchester City man, who he usually deploys as a holding midfielder. Indeed, Barry has earned 20 of his 36 caps under Capello, all but one of which were starts. Moved to Man City from Aston Villa for £12m in a controversial transfer as, like Villa, the Manchester club were unable to provide his previously-stated desire of Champions League football.

Michael Carrick (Manchester United)
28.07.81
Debut v Mexico on 25.05.01, won 4-0
22 caps (0 goals)
Geordie midfielder who learned his trade through West Ham's youth academy, transferring to Tottenham for £2.75m a season after the Hammers' relegation. Carrick proved to be a success at White Hart Lane, prompting Manchester United to shell out £14m on him. Despite competition from Owen Hargreaves and Anderson, who both arrived a year later, Carrick was seen as an integral part of a United team who won three consecutive champions and made successive appearances in the Champions League Final. Carrick was selected by Sven Goran Eriksson for the 2006 World Cup squad but made just one appearance. Likely to be similarly frustrated this time after a weaker 2009-10 season, exemplified by a poor performance in the warm-up game against Mexico.

Joe Cole (Chelsea)
08.11.81
Debut v Mexico on 25.05.01, won 4-0
54 caps (10 goals)
Struggled to hold down a place in the Chelsea midfield but deemed good enough to make the final squad based upon previous tournament experience. He was chosen for the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 but played just 27 minutes in the former and not at all in the latter. However, Cole made a real impression at World Cup 2006, starting each match and scoring a wonderful dipping volley against Sweden in the final group game. He has received just five caps under Capello, and none since the 4-1 win against Croatia in September 2008 when he went off injured in the second half. Not a likely starter this time.

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
30.05.80
Debut v Ukraine on 31.05.00, won 2-0
80 caps (16 goals)
A fifth major tournament for Gerrard after appearances at the World Cups in 2002 and 2006, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004. Finished as England's top scorer in the 2006 World Cup with two goals in group games against Trinidad & Tobago and Sweden but, despite this, he has gained a reputation for playing better in a Liverpool shirt than an England one after several heroic performances for his club. Arrested but found not guilty of GBH in the 2008-09 season in which Liverpool finished second but struggled for form during 2009-10 as Liverpool tumbled to seventh in the Premier League. Scored two goals in the 5-1 thrashing of Croatia last September.

Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
20.06.78
Debut v Belgium on 10.10.99, won 2-1
78 caps (20 goals)
Attacking midfielder with a phenomenal goal record. During 2009-10, he became Chelsea's third-highest all-time scorer with 157 career goals for his club in all competitions. However, his World Cup story so far is a less happy tale - he missed the cut for Sven Goran Eriksson's squad in 2002 and failed to impress in 2006, missing one of the penalties in the shootout against Portugal. Normally reliable from the 12 yards since, Lampard has had his last two spot-kicks - in the FA Cup Final and the Japan warm-up game - saved.

Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur)
16.04.87
Debut v Jamaica on 03.06.06, won 6-0
16 caps (0 goals)
Dazzling winger with searing pace who looked least in threat of Capello's candidates in the right-hand side position having finally found some end product during a fine first part of the season at Spurs. It was, however, a campaign disrupted by a groin injury which kept him out from January until the end of April. But Lennon proved his fitness in the closing weeks and he is a Capello favourite as demonstrated by a starting place in most of the qualifiers for which he has been available.

James Milner (Aston Villa)
04.01.86
Debut v Netherlands on 12.08.09, drew 2-2
8 caps (0 goals)
Versatile midfielder who can play on either flank, also enjoying a more central role in a successful 2009-10 season at Aston Villa. A tireless, industrious player with an excellent work-rate, Milner can also be called on to play at right-back if England get stuck for options in defence. The 24-year-old has improved his final ball but he is sometimes not greedy enough in good shooting positions. As a decent dead-ball player, he is likely to take a penalty if England are in a shootout and he is on the field.

Shaun Wright-Phillips (Manchester City)
25.10.81
Debut v Ukraine on 18.08.04, won 3-0
31 caps (6 goals)
A surprise inclusion in the final squad ahead of Theo Walcott, making up for the heartache he suffered after missing the cut in 2006. The adopted son of Ian Wright, he started his senior career at Manchester City after Nottingham Forest released him as a trainee but moved to Chelsea in 2005. Struggled to hold down a first-team place at Stamford Bridge with almost half his appearances fo the Blues coming as a substitute and so moved back to City in 2008. Hard to see much improvement in his game since his move to Chelsea as, despite blinding pace, he still regularly fails with his final ball.

FORWARDS
Peter Crouch (Tottenham Hotspur)
30.01.81
Debut v Colombia on 31.05.05, won 3-2
38 caps (21 goals)
Lanky striker, standing at 6ft 7in, with spectacular international goal record, currently the sixth-best ratio in English history. However, it is boosted by several goals against modest opposition and he is by no means a starter. Chosen by Eriksson for the 2006 World Cup, Crouch scored in the finals against Trinidad & Tobago with a header but, despite his height, he is not particularly prestigious in the air. Has gained a reputation for taking a light-hearted look at life and looks more settled at Spurs than anywhere else in his nomadic club career. He is well-remembered for his robotic dancing in a friendly against Jamaica before the last World Cup and his response to an interviewer that he would be a virgin if he were not a footballer.

Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur)
07.10.82
Debut v Sweden on 31.03.04, lost 0-1
40 caps (11 goals)
Crouch's team mate is still less likely a starter but Defoe offers something which none of the other strikers can and he comes into the World Cup on the back of a strong season at Spurs. Defoe has the pace to worry any defence but he is sometimes let down by his final choice, particularly at international level. Omitted from the 2006 World Cup squad, Defoe improved his chances this time around by equalling the Premier League record for goals in a game with five in the 9-1 thrashing of Wigan in November. Six of his 11 international goals have come in his last 10 appearances.

Emile Heskey (Aston Villa)
11.01.78
Debut v Hungary on 28.04.99, drew 1-1
58 caps (7 goals)
The most controversial of Capello's four choices up front considering Heskey's poor goals record at club and international level. Heskey's detractors consider him a waste of a squad number but his supporters argue, with some value, that his presence causes enough disruption among the opposition to help other players benefit. Wayne Rooney seems to enjoy playing with Heskey, scoring eight times in their last nine games together as compared to just two Rooney goalsin nine matches without Heskey. Heskey played at the 2002 World Cup, scoring in the 3-0 Second Round win over Denmark, but he failed to make it into the 2006 squad. He has scored two international goals since 2003, both of them coming in 2009.

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
24.10.85
Debut v Australia on 12.02.03, lost 1-3
60 caps (25 goals)
England's real hope of World Cup glory this summer rests with Rooney. Since Cristiano Ronaldo's move from Manchester United to Real Madrid, Rooney has moved into a more central position and become a magnificent player, up with the world's very best. Having added headed goals to his already impressive repetoire, Rooney was able to score 34 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions for United in 2009-10. He also scored nine goals for England in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, the highest in Europe. Better still, fatherhood appears to have matured him and, though he has retained a tenacious nature to his game, he picks up fewer bookings. Hopefully, that means there will be no repeat of four years ago when he was sent off for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho.


LEFT IN THE DEPARTURE LOUNGE
Leighton Baines (Everton)
Despite a consistent season with Everton, Baines failed to make it as the reserve left-back after a poor performance in the warm-up match against Mexico and an admission that he gets homesick.
Darren Bent (Sunderland)
Bent scored 24 goals in 38 league games in a struggling Sunderland team but it was not enough to fire him to the World Cup after he failed to break his international scoring duck in the warm-up game against Japan.
Michael Dawson (Tottenham Hotspur)
Dawson remains uncapped, perhaps harshly not even given a chance in either of the warm-up games.
Tom Huddlestone (Tottenham Hotspur)
Failed to make an impression as a holding midfielder in the warm-up games and his chance was pretty much gone as soon as Gareth Barry was declared to be fit. Five years younger than Barry and Michael Carrick, he can be seen as one for the future.
Adam Johnson (Manchester City)
A strong finish to the season from Johnson put him in the original squad of 30 and, as a natural left-footer, he seemed to be in with a chance. But he was only given six minutes against Mexico to make an impact, though he did almost latch on to Rooney's through ball. A harsh omission.
Scott Parker (West Ham United)
Parker also finished the domestic season strongly, putting in a series of brave performances to keep West Ham in the Premier League. There was always the impression, though, that he was a decent player in a struggling team but nothing more - and Capello did not see fit to give him any time in the warm-up games.
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Shock inclusion in 2002, and shock omission in 2006. Walcott has come in for some criticism for failing to use his electric pace to better effect but he is perhaps harshly judged against a brilliant performance when he scored a hat-trick to help England beat Croatia 4-1. Certainly, he is no worse than Shaun Wright-Phillips at providing a final ball and his exclusion means that, for the first time since 1990, there are no Arsenal players in the England squad. Thankfully, Walcott seems to have taken the news well and, at 21, has plenty of time to play in future World Cups.