England watch - Gabriel Agbonlahor
Wednesday, 27 Sep 2006 16:22
Agbonlahor on the way up
Since Steve McClaren axed former skipper David Beckham, debate over England's right-side role has proliferated. Steven Gerrard has done a very capable job, capable, not world class, Aaron Lennon has got himself injured and Shaun Wright-Phillips is still fishing without luck for his Manchester City form.
Here we take a look at one English prospect who is still for some reason not even in the England under-21 squad yet could solve this issue, be it for the qualifiers to Austria and Switzerland in two years' time or in South Africa in 2010. Sooner rather than later, we hope. Soho Square take note.
Sixth under the spotlight is a Birmingham-born youngster who is currently the toast of Villa Park.
Name: Gabriel Agbonlahor
Position: Forward / right wing
Club: Aston Villa
Age at start of South Africa 2010: 23
Aston Villa have hardly had much to cheer about over the past few years. Yet suddenly, with a new, top-class manager at the helm plus the advent of funds from a new billionaire owner, they have now unearthed a priceless talent that could prove the biggest success story of them all.
Gabriel Agbonlahor, a Birmingham-born product of the club's youth system, has bolted on to the international radar with a series of eyecatching performances this Premiership season and in doing so has become emblematic of Villa's new, young, daring ambition. So long a sleeping giant, the club now seems full of renewed passion and energy and it is not too far-fetched a comment to say Agbonlahor alone has played a significant part in this resurrection.
Blessed with lightening pace and, unlike some of his positional rivals, the ability to dribble at speed without leaving the ball behind – see messers Walcott and Wright-Phillips – Agbonlahor is one of the most exciting talents in the Premiership. He may have only made nine league starts for Villa in his career, of which six have come this season, but he has shown a fortitude, developed via tough loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday and Watford, that suggests he is very much here to stay.
O'Neill believes in him. Villa's all-knowing Northern Irish coach has used the youngster, a striker by trade but comfortable out wide right, in every minute of this season's Premiership campaign and he is reaping the rewards. In addition to the constant lavish praise being heaped on the forward, his goal of Alan Shearer ilk in Villa's 2-0 win over Charlton recently reaffirmed his potential as an out-and-out goalscorer and showed he has the prowess and calmness in front of goal needed for the very top level.
Agbonlahor is a raw talent and cliche-loving hacks continue to reference just how much he still has to learn. But there is sublime talent contained within this youngster, a regular member of England's under-20 squad, and Steve McClaren will be genuinely well-advised to take a more active role in following in his progress, particularly as Nigeria, his father's country, have already reportedly approached the prodigious forward about playing for the Flying Eagles, the Supers' youngsters.
As if these listed qualities were not enough, he is also humble. "I just want to keep playing my football, try to stay in the Villa first team and see what happens," he admitted recently. No pretences, no overinflated ego or hot-headed tendencies, Agbonlahor could well be the next big thing in world football. A not-so-surprising senior surely call-up beckons.
England's 2010 World Cup squad
*Players in bold – tickets to South Africa booked already
Goalkeepers
Paul Robinson
Possibles:
Chris Kirkland,
Ben Foster,
Rob Green,
Scott Carson
Defenders
John Terry,
Ashley Cole,
Rio Ferdinand,
Jamie Carragher
Possibles:
Glen Johnson,
Joleon Lescott,
Micah Richards,
Ledley King,
Michael Dawson,
Anton Ferdinand,
Leighton Baines,
Justin Hoyte,
Curtis Davies,
Wes Brown,
Phil Bardsley,
Michael Mancienne
Midfielders
Steven Gerrard,
Frank Lampard,
Owen Hargreaves,
Joe Cole,
Michael Carrick
Possibles:
Aaron Lennon,
Tom Huddlestone,
Nigel Reo-Coker,
Lee Cattermole,
Shaun Wright-Phillips,
Stewart Downing,
Giles Barnes,
James Morrison,
Kieran Richardson
Forwards
Wayne Rooney,
Michael Owen
Possibles:
David Nugent,
Theo Walcott,
James Vaughan,
Gabriel Agbonlahor,
Jermain Defoe,
Peter Crouch,
Darren Bent,
Dean Ashton,
Cameron Jerome