Publications
Partners
Watford - Southampton captain Adam Lallana has said on Monday that team-mate Luke Shaw deserves his call-up to the England squad for Wednesday's friendly against Denmark at Wembley.
The 18-year-old Shaw could earn his first senior cap for England before manager Roy Hodgson announces his 23-man squad for the World Cup in Brazil later this year.
"He has been an outstanding for us all season. He looks like a seasoned pro and it was no surprise to see he was included in the squad," Lallana told a news conference at England's hotel in Watford, north of London.
"There are two outstanding players ahead of him (Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines)," added Lallana in a reference to Shaw's international left-back rivals at Chelsea and Everton respectively.
"He knows he is going to learn off them and if he watches them closely in training he knows it is going to do him good."
Shaw has been a first team regular for Southampton this season, starting 25 out of 28 Premier League games.
Lallana and Shaw are joined in the 30-man England squad by Saints team-mates Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez.
Lambert, a 32-year-old striker, was the first of the Southampton quartet to break into the Three Lions set-up and marked his debut by scoring the winning goal with his first touch in international football as England beat arch-rivals Scotland 3-2 in a friendly at Wembley last year.
"Seeing Rickie being involved gave everyone an extra 10 percent of belief," Lallana said.
"We have had a good season at Southampton, been performing well on a consistent basis and we have all been helping each other," he added with the Saints currently an impressive ninth in the table.
"It is brilliant, it proves how far the club has come and to have four lads representing the country this week is fantastic."
