West Ham Fan View: Will any Hammers' player make England's World Cup squad?

Gareth Southgate can only take 23 players to the World Cup in 2018 but will any player from West Ham make the squad? We have four players that have a good chance of being called up to the squad next summer – Joe Hart, Aaron Cresswell, Andy Carroll, and Michail Antonio.

Joe Hart

Hart is almost guaranteed to be called up to the squad. Hart’s performances have dipped over the past few seasons though it is clear that Southgate sees Hart as his first-choice goalkeeper. Since he has signed for West Ham, we have seen him make some fine saves despite the errors in his game.

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There is no doubt that he has serious competition in Jordan Pickford, Jack Butland, and Fraser Forster though they are more likely to replace Hart in Euro 2020. But will Hart be a Hammer come next summer?

Aaron Cresswell

I do not expect Cresswell to make the World Cup squad despite being called up to the latest squad. Cresswell has been a good left-back for West Ham since signing and we have seen his ability to deliver great balls into the box. With England having one of the best left-backs in the world in Danny Rose and Ryan Bertrand likely to be the second-choice, it will be very hard for Cresswell.

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Andy Carroll

From all of the four players listed, Carroll is the one that divides opinion the most. There is the view that England should not play ‘long-ball’ football and calling up Carroll suggests that this will be the style of play given his attributes. But Carroll has to be called up to the England squad for this reason. England need an alternative to the likes of Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane, and Jamie Vardy.

Neither of those players possess the power and aerial ability of Carroll and calling him up allows England to have an effective Plan B. Let’s not forget that he did score in Euro 2012. It would not be a surprise if he was to be called up nearly six years after last playing for England.

Michail Antonio

Antonio has been deserving of an England call up since his first season at West Ham. He has been one of our most consistent players, scoring numerous goals and showing his quality on the right-wing. His ability to beat his opponents with ease and determination has made him a fan-favourite. He was called up for the first time in his career in August 2016 when Sam Allardyce named his first squad but he played zero minutes.

Antonio deserves a proper chance to prove his worth for England and there are few players that possess the abilities that he does on the wing. With qualification guaranteed, Southgate has time to experiment with his team. His chances are low, but Antonio could be one of Southgate’s wildcards.