Roy Hodgson has chosen not to include any West Ham players in his 26-man squad for Euro 2016.
Although many Hammers fans were not expecting Hodgson to pick any West Ham stars, the fact that he has opted for some questionable names to be included in the squad over reliable West Ham performers will definitely frustrate fans.
Firstly, the impact of Marcus Rashford has been unbelievably overhyped this season. Yes, he has scored a few goals and is young but his inclusion comes far too early, especially when a reliable goalscorer with international experience in Jermaine Defoe completely misses out.
The likes of Fabian Delph and Adam Lallana make the team ahead of Michail Antonio and Mark Noble. How this has happened is genuinely baffling and says a lot about the man in charge. Antonio has out performed most of the England midfielders picked in the squad but there was never a suggestion that Hodgson would opt for the pacey winger.
The England manager was in attendance for the 3-2 victory over Manchester United. In a game where Michail Antonio scored an excellent header and Mark Noble got man of the match, Hodgson was most likely watching the ineffective Marcus Rashford up front. This just proves how much the Hammers have been overlooked by the England manager this season.
It is quite concerning that the Hodgson barely recognises what the English West Ham players have achieved this season. Aaron Cresswell, Mark Noble and Michail Antonio should all have stood a chance to represent their country at some point this year but you get the impression that Hodgson never intended to give them the opportunity to prove themselves.
The only advantage is that the Hammers’ English stars can give themselves a long rest over the summer in order to be fit and firing for the start of next season. Let’s hope another solid campaign in 2016/17 eventually shows Hodgson what he has been missing.
