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Monday, February 2, 1998 Published at 14:07 GMT Sport: Football Owen call-up could make history ![]() Michael Owen celebrates another goal for Liverpool
Liverpool prodigy Michael Owen could become England's youngest player this century after being named in Glenn Hoddle's squad for next Wednesday's World Cup warm-up with Chile.
Should the striker make his debut against Chile it will be at the age of 18
years and 59 days - 124 days younger than Duncan Edwards when he first pulled on an England shirt. It would also make Owen the fourth youngest England international of all time.
The call is fitting reward for a series of sensational displays in his first
full season in the Premiership, having scored 12 goals for Liverpool.
There was disappointment for Owen's team mate Robbie Fowler who is suffering from a loss of form. He was left out of both the senior squad and the B party
for their game against the South Americans 24 hours before the full clash.
The World Cup hopes of Matthew Le Tissier, Stuart Pearce, Stan Collymore
and Gary Pallister must also be slim after they were left out of the list
of names unveiled by Hoddle on Monday.
Dublin, 28, has not previously been thought of for international duty but, by his own admission, he is in the best form of his career. He is
leading the Sky Blues from the front with 15 goals already this season.
With a list of strikers including the recalled Les Ferdinand, Teddy
Sheringham and Andy Cole, Hoddle may opt to let Shearer train rather than
subject him to the rigours of a full international.
Tim Flowers, 31 on Tuesday, received a birthday call for the first time this
season while there were returns after injury for Tony Adams, Martin Keown
and Graeme Le Saux.
Liverpool's Steve McManaman was also included despite his hamstring problem,
suggesting that he will be fit to join up with the England party next weekend.
Hoddle also unveiled a 19-strong list of World Cup possibles when he announced
his squad for the B clash. Four of the players named - Rio Ferdinand, Paul Merson, Nick Barmby and Chris
Sutton - have been capped at full level by the coach.
The rest of the list of names contains seven players who have graduated from
the Under-21 ranks, including Darren Huckerby of Coventry, Emile Heskey of
Leicester and talented Ipswich midfielder Kieron Dyer.
The Arsenal pair, David Seaman and Ian Wright, and Tottenham's
goalkeeper, Ian Walker, are all injured at present.
England squad to play Chile on Wednesday, February 11:
Martyn (Leeds) |
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