GOOD MORNING FOOTBALL FANS,
Jesse Lingard is emerging as a wildcard selection for Gareth Southgate’s 23-man Euros squad.
The midfielder, a stalwart of England’s run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, has come from nowhere to be a serious contender again.
His outstanding form on loan at West Ham had earned the Manchester United outcast a shock call-up to Southgate’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers — and Lingard played in all three.
When naming that party, Southgate admitted Lingard, 28, had been ‘lucky’ to be included, because of injuries to Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, James Maddison and Harvey Barnes.
But it is believed that Southgate has been so impressed by Lingard’s form, as well as his huge popularity within the squad, that he is trying to figure out who to omit to find room for him.
That could mean the axe for Sancho or Grealish — both would be huge calls.
Meanwhile, Harry Kane is set to stay at Tottenham this summer with the club refusing to let him join another Premier League team.
And unless the big guns in Spain are able to come up with the £175million that would be needed to get the England captain out, Kane, 27, accepts he will be a Spurs player next season.
Kane realises he might have to quit his boyhood club to win football’s biggest prizes — but he is loyal to Tottenham, he loves the club and is not currently willing to force his way out.
The star striker has three years to run on the bumper contract he signed in June 2018 and hopes the club will match his ambitions in that time.
But SunSport understands Spurs are ready to dig their heels in and make it almost impossible for him to get away before then if Kane did make the first move.
And finally, Sheffield United have put Oostende boss Alexander Blessin on their list of possible replacements for Chris Wilder.
The Premier League basement boys have had Under 23 chief Paul Heckingbottom in temporary charge since Wilder departed in mid-March.
And the job that German coach Blessin has done in Belgium is believed to have caught the eye of the Bramall Lane hierarchy.
It is understood the 47-year-old has met with the Blades top brass on a couple of occasions already and another meeting has been pencilled in.
Oostende currently sit fourth in their domestic league.
