The West Ham players who should be considered for England selection

Craig Dawson

Not a single West Ham fan would have believed that five months after signing for the club, Craig Dawson would be in with shout for an England call-up. You would have been laughed at. But here we are, and it’s a massive testament to how well the Englishman has played this season.

According to the Athletic, the England manager had been encouraged to consider calling Dawson up to the England squad for the Euros – and for good reason.

Dawson has been a rock at the back for West Ham since making his Hammers debut against Southampton in December, and he has helped Moyes’ men keep seven clean sheets since then. The impact Dawson has had on West Ham’s defence has been incredible and he seems to have left the mistake-ridden Watford edition far behind him.

The centre-back has made an average of 0.5 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 3.9 clearances per game, according to WhoScored. These stats show just how solid Dawson has been at the back for West Ham, especially the clearances and interception stats.

As well as his impressive defensive numbers, Dawson has also been lethal from set pieces and he has scored four goals in all competitions for West Ham, three in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup.  His defensive and attacking threats could be a needed part of Southgate’s England jigsaw in the summer.

One issue that could have been playing on Southgate’s mind is Dawson’s age. The England manager is well known for opting to bring in young talent over experience, and as Dawson is 30 years old, his age may well have stopped him from getting the cap that his form deserves.

Dawson has never represented England at a senior level but he did represent Great Britain’s Under-23’s during the 2012 Olympics. Despite missing out this month, what better time would there be to get your first England cap than at the Euros? He surprised West Ham fans, so there’s no reason why he can’t he surprise England fans.