Tuesday 10 May 2016 7:22 pm

Why Andy Carroll, Theo Walcott and Ryan Bertrand deserve a place in England’s Euro 2016 squad – and Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson and Leighton Baines don’t

Sports Editor

Roy Hodgson may have delayed naming his 23-man squad for the European Championship until Monday, but the England manager has only a few dilemmas left.

The goalkeeping line-up of Joe Hart, Fraser Forster and Tom Heaton is straightforward, yet there are decisions to be made in defence, midfield and up front, especially with Danny Welbeck a possible casualty. Here is how I see it.

Defence

Left-back is probably the only contentious position, with the more experienced Leighton Baines vying with Danny Rose and Ryan Bertrand for two places.

I think Rose has done enough to argue that he should be first choice. He may be a late shout with just two caps but is on a high from his title-challenging season with Tottenham and, at 25, is the right age to be a realistic option for the next World Cup too.

Baines, 31, has 30 caps but has had a hugely disappointing campaign with Everton, so I’d be more inclined to go with Southampton’s Bertrand, 26, who, like Rose, is on the right trajectory for future tournaments.

Midfield

Hodgson has decisions in central midfield, with Fabian Delph, Eric Dier, Jack Wilshere, Jordan Henderson, Michael Carrick and James Milner scrapping for seats on the plane to France.

Delph misses out for me. I don’t think he has brought enough to England in his handful of appearances, and he hasn’t made a huge contribution to Manchester City since his summer move either.

Michael Carrick, now 34, has lost that little burst of pace and the Manchester United man ought to be edged out by Tottenham youngster Dier, who can do the holding job just as well.

Wilshere still has to prove his fitness, but Roy has always liked him. The Arsenal man is left-footed so offers a counterbalance to the team and is a creator who can see a pass and then make that pass.

England need more memorable, magical moments and Jack, not Delph, can provide them.

It’s tough on Henderson but I’d leave him behind. The Liverpool player’s game is all about covering ground – he is not a creator or a passer – so he needs to be 100 per cent fit to have any impact, and when you have had a long injury absence like he has, it’s hard to get back up to speed.

His Reds team-mate Milner offers the advantage of being able to play in several positions across midfield and could fill in at full-back if required. You always need one player like that in the squad and he is the only one, so I’d take him. Plus, with 57 caps, he brings experience.

Wings

Further forward Raheem Sterling and Theo Walcott are two players who have made only patch contributions this term and there may only be room for one of them.

Sterling has failed to flourish and been really poor since his £49m switch to City last summer and, a threatening half hour against Italy two years ago aide, has done little in an England shirt.

Walcott, while also less than convincing, has at least had an impact at international level, and is more versatile, so I’d go with the Gunner. Andros Townsend has made a late bid with his form since joining Newcastle but I don’t think that spell has not been long enough to force his way in.

Forwards

Were Welbeck fit, he would go – not least because his energetic, hard-working approach fits a style of play that Hodgson favours. But now a knee-injury threatens to rule him out.

If he doesn’t recover I would take Andy Carroll, who is back in form and fully fit at last after a lengthy run in the West Ham side. There is nobody better in the air than him and the threat he poses at set-pieces is reason alone to include him.