Martin O’Neill is confident that Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ashley Young and James Milner can all make the 2010 World Cup.
Agonlahor and Milner are both currently on England Under-21 duty with Stuart Pearce’s side but, along with Young, have both been in and around Fabio Capello’s setup over the past season.
O’Neill has never been shy in trumpeting their cause and has once again thrown his weight of support behind them pushing for a place on the plane to South Africa.
“It will be a big season for the lads,” he told Aston Villa’s official website. “They want to get on the plane to South Africa. I think James, Ashley, Gabby will be very excited by the season ahead.
“They will want to improve. It’s that extra percentage of improvement that could make the difference for them. Will they sustain their levels or can they go up again?
“It was great for Ashley to come up against Andorra and he will be delighted – his confidence will be very high. For the likes of Gabby and James – who are on the verge of the full squad – that extra improvement could impress the England manager."
“That’s what they have to do. I think all three are capable of doing that.”