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02nd Oct 2016

Nobody can believe Gareth Southgate has picked Glen Johnson for England

People think it's some kind of joke...

Ben Kenyon

New manager, new ideas. It’s the way of the world.

Sam Allardyce put his own spin on the England team during his fleeting 67 days and one international game in charge.

But with Allardyce leaving his post in disgrace and U21 boss Gareth Southgate taking the reins for the next few games, it was inevitable he was going to put his own spin on things.

Just like the previous England incumbent, Southgate hasn’t rung the changes or majorly rocked the boat.

Jesse Lingard has been given a call up and West Ham’s Michail Antonio made the squad again after getting his first inclusion under Allardyce.

Marcus Rashford is back in after his hat-trick for England U21 and there’s the same old faces in Joe Hart and Wayne Rooney included for the two World Cup qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia.

It all looked pretty routine as fans cast their eyes down the England squad list.

But there was one name that stuck out like a sore thumb for Three Lions fans and that was Stoke’s Glen Johnson.

The 32-year-old former Liverpool defender, who has 54 caps, hasn’t played for England since the 2014 World Cup.

The right back has just returned from a seven-month lay-off with a knee injury, but Southgate has given him a call up to the squad for the qualifying fixtures this week.

Stoke City haven’t exactly been in flying form in the Premier League so far, so Johnson’s inclusion has come as a surprise to some.

Literally moments after the squad was officially announced, Twitter exploded…

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