Player Profile

Aston Villa’s left-back was a surprise choice in the squad, having not featured in the qualifying campaign or pre-World Cup friendlies.

His inclusion gives him a chance to rid himself of the dubious distinction of sharing the record for the shortest England playing career, his eight minutes as a substitute against Trinidad and Tobago in June 2008 matching the time spent on the pitch by Jimmy Barrett against Ireland in 1928 and Peter Ward against Australia in 1980.

Warnock made a tremendous impact at Villa following his £8m move from Blackburn last August, his tenacity and work ethic endeared him to Villa’s supporters and manager alike – Martin O’Neill believes he is as mentally strong as any player he has known during his career.

As a youngster, Warnock broke his leg three times while at Liverpool’s youth academy and was subsequently loaned to Bradford in 2002 and Coventry for the entire 2003/04 season before making his Liverpool first-team debut in August 2004. He later moved to Blackburn for £1.5m and spent two-and-a-half years at Ewood Park before joining Villa.