England call up West Brom striker Saido Berahino for Euro 2016 qualifier• West Brom striker in line for Slovenia match
• Theo Walcott in squad for first time this year
• No return for Liverpool right-back Glen Johnson
• FA expecting bigger Wembley crowd for qualifier
Roy Hodgson has given a first England call-up to Saido Berahino, the in-form West Bromwich Albion striker, for the Euro 2016 qualifier against Slovenia and the friendly against Scotland – but the manager has dropped Glen Johnson, who has been a mainstay of the squad for years.
The Liverpool right-back, who has been a first-choice selection at the past three major tournaments, is fit again after the thigh injury that ruled him out for six weeks at the beginning of the season. He returned for Liverpool on 4 October and he has started in four of the club’s last six games.
But Johnson has struggled for form and Hodgson has opted to persist with Arsenal’s Calum Chambers and Nathaniel Clyne of Southampton – the right-backs he picked for the last round of qualifiers against San Marino and Estonia in early October.
Hodgson has recalled Everton’s Ross Barkley, Michael Carrick of Manchester United, Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and Stewart Downing of West Ham United. Wayne Rooney, the captain, will win his 100th cap at Wembley against Slovenia on Saturday but nobody else in the squad has more caps than Johnson, who has 54.
“I have Nathaniel Clyne at the moment and Calum Chambers,” Hodgson said. “Glen Johnson is in the situation with Liverpool where he sometimes plays and sometimes doesn’t so I prefer this time certainly to stick with the two younger guys and they won’t let me down.”
Berahino was the most eye-catching selection. Hodgson said that he would have called him up for the San Marino and Estonia ties, only he was needed by the Under-21s for the European Championship play-off against Croatia. Berahino scored in the first leg and helped Gareth Southgate’s team to a 4-2 aggregate victory. The 21-year-old has scored eight times for West Brom this season, seven of them coming in the Premier League.
Berahino has a remarkable personal story, having fled civil war-torn Burundi to take asylum in England. His father died in the fighting. He spoke no English when he arrived at the age of 10 but his footballing ability helped him to make friends and integrate. He was spotted and taken on by the West Brom Academy and, years later, it was Hodgson, when he was in charge at The Hawthorns, who promoted Berahino from the reserves to the first-team squad.
“I am just pleased for him because I know how much football means to him,” Hodgson said. “I was pleased that in an interview the other day, he made it clear how important England and English football has been to him and his family. I think it’s a really nice story and it’s up to him to show he can make this step up from his own level, under-21, to the senior level. I am happy to give him the chance.”
Berahino said: “It will be a very emotional experience for me. If selected, I will play with all my heart. This country gave me a second chance in life. I came to this country and it has provided me and my family with a safe place and a better place to live. It’s given me a chance to achieve what I want to achieve in life.”
England squadGoalkeepers Fraser Forster, Ben Foster, Joe Hart. Defenders Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Calum Chambers, Nathaniel Clyne, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling. Midfielders Ross Barkley, Michael Carrick, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Raheem Sterling, Andros Townsend, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott. Forwards Rickie Lambert, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Welbeck, Saido Berahino.
