Alan Hutton: Aston Villa duo should be ‘desperate’ to make World Cup squad
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
The final internationals have been played prior to the World Cup but there were no Aston Villa players in the England squad whatsoever.
Both Tyrone Mings and Ollie Watkins have multiple England caps to their name but a slow start to the season by the Villans saw both omitted from Gareth Southgate’s selection.
The Three Lions subsequently lost away in Italy before drawing 3-3 with Germany to be relegated from their Nations League group over the international break.
Former Aston Villa right-back Alan Hutton has suggested that both can still find their way into Southgate’s final 26-man squad for the Qatar World Cup in November but only if they knuckle down immediately.
“They will be desperate, absolutely desperate to go,” Hutton said exclusively to Villa News. “Watkins has had opportunities to come into the England set up and he’s done well.
“He will have impressed the manager but the way that Ivan Toney is playing at the moment probably edges him in and Watkins out.
“Mings must be sitting there thinking that he is good enough to play in the England set up. He plays week in, week out for Aston Villa and he’ll be looking at the likes of Harry Maguire who aren’t playing every week thinking he deserves an opportunity as well.
“Mings just needs to keep his head down, keep working hard, play to the best of his ability and hopefully he gets that call for the winter.”
Villa were held to a 0-0 draw by Leeds on Sunday and will now face a trip to lowly Nottingham Forest on Monday evening (10 October).
In other Aston Villa news, Hutton has demanded that the club take much more care over their recruitment after eye-opening facts emerged.