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Another Liverpool youngster with immense potential, the 1999-2000 season has been a watershed campaign for him. Selected by Kevin Keegan in his squad to face Argentina in March 2000, injury cruelly robbed him of making his full international bow at Wembley. It's a long way away from kicking a football around his local housing estate on Merseyside where he grew up. His progression to the full England squad after just 35 first-team appearances can be documented through the dramatic strides he has made since being promoted from the youth ranks at Liverpool by manager Gerard Houllier, just days after the Frenchman took the helm at Anfield. He made his debut at the end of November 1998, coming on as a substitute in the 2-0 home win over Blackburn. The next game at Spurs, he was in from the start. His European debut followed soon after in the UEFA Cup defeat against Celta Vigo in which he was named man-of-the-match. From then on, Houllier nursed him through the rest of the season, with five starts and eight substitute appearances. This season Houllier hasn't been able to leave him out. He had a taste of the England set-up in March 1999 when he was invited to train with the full squad ahead of the Euro 2000 qualifier with Poland, whilst still only a youth international. His Under-21 call-up followed in August when he starred against Luxembourg, scoring in the process. And now with four caps under his belt at that level, he has thrust himself into Keegan's reckoning for Euro 2000. He faces a tough task to secure a place in this summer's squad for he is up against the likes of David Beckham, Dennis Wise, David Batty, Paul Ince, Steve McManaman and Jamie Redknapp, but his late-season form for Liverpool may just swing things in his favour. Even if he doesn't make Euro 2000, he is sure to be a prominent figure for England in coming years. |
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