Fraser Forster is hoping for the chance to stake his claim for the England number one spot at Wembley tonight.
The Saints stopper has been in fine form since his £10m move to St Mary’s, while Joe Hart has had a stuttering start to the new season.
Forster has been backed to become England’s first choice keeper over the course of this season, and is hoping for a chance to shine in the friendly with Norway at Wembley tonight, which comes before a trip to Basel to take on Switzerland in a European Championship qualifier.
Roy Hodgson has not named Forster in his starting line-up, but the 26-year-old will hope to get an opportunity at some point.
Hodgson said: “We want two good results, starting tomorrow night, to get that feel-good factor back.
“It will be a young team, for sure, with some very interesting young talents and players of enormous potential.”
Former Saints youngster Calum Chambers is one of the players hoping to win his first cap tonight.
“It is a friendly game that gives us a chance to find out more about some of them,” said Hodgson.
“There is a lot of anticipation. The players have only been together since Sunday evening but we seemed to have crammed an awful lot in during those training sessions.
“I get the feeling the players can't wait to kick off this campaign. The players are ready to go.”
“It will be a young team, with some very interesting young talents and players of enormous potential”
Hodgson was at pains to point out that it is not his business what clubs do with the English players on their books and insisted the influx of European talent this summer is not a concern.
He added: “I worked for a long time in club football and when you work there the only thing that matters to you is your club: getting the best results and finding the right players.
“It's unrealistic to think that club managers should bear in mind the England national side or the Welsh national side.
“I think we've got enough players I think we just need to accept as a nation that some of our players will be selected from benches not necessarily because they're the first name at their club side.
“I also think the standard in the Premier League is such that we are becoming a magnet for the best players in the world.
“You could argue for some of our players that do become regulars it is advantageous for them.”
Confirmed England team for tonight's game: Hart; Stones, Cahill, Jones, Baines; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Wilshere, Sterling; Rooney, Sturridge.
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