Southgate: Chamberlain has Euro 2012 chance
442 Staff - Tuesday 06 December 2011, 13:21
Arsenal youngster Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could yet make a late
push for a place in England's squad for Euro 2012, according to FA head
of elite development Gareth Southgate.
Chamberlain, 18, has featured in just one Premier League game since
arriving at Emirates Stadium from Southampton in the summer.
But he is
expected to start his second Champions League tie away to Olympiakos on
Tuesday evening, having scored on his European bow against the same
opposition back in September.
But Southgate, himself capped 57 times by England and a veteran of
two European Championships campaigns, believes the Gunners starlet has
enough time and raw talent to stake a claim for inclusion in Fabio
Capello's 23-man squad for next year's tournament in Ukraine and
Poland.
"Oxlade-Chamberlain is one that might [make a late push], depending
on how much football he gets at Arsenal between now and the end of the
season," Southgate exclusively told FourFourTwo.com.
"He’s had a fantastic impact in the under-21 matches I’ve seen him
play in. He’s highly versatile, yes he has predominantly played out wide
but he can also come inside and cause problems for the opposition.
"He seems to have that knack of getting into the areas of the field
where his team most needs that creativity. He has great pace but he can
also select the right pass at the right time, he looks a really exciting
prospect."
Gareth Southgate was speaking on behalf of Carlsberg, The Official Beer of The England Team. Carlsberg will be giving away tickets to Euro 2012 throughout the season. Keep checking Facebook.com/CarlsbergForEngland for your chance to watch England in next summer’s EURO 2012™ Championships.
By James Maw