Questions have been raised about manager Roy Hodgson

A number of lesser-known players have caught their eye while playing in the Premier League. Questions have been raised about manager Roy Hodgson being interested in including names like Mark Noble, who have performed exceptionally well for West Ham in this campaign.

The midfielder has been an integral part in the club doing well so far. After the appointment of Slaven Billic, the club are expected to struggle but it has not been the case and they are third in the table following the recent win over Chelsea. Other West Ham players eligible for the England national team include Aaron Cresswell and James Tomkins.

Hodgson says that he has noticed the impressive performances from these three players, but reckons that the intense competition within the national team makes it difficult for him to include them in the upcoming squads. After the recent Euro 2016 qualifying campaign came to an end, England will focus on preparing for the tournament itself. They had a 100% record in the qualification campaign and the upcoming friendlies will present Hodgson with an opportunity to experiment with the squad. It remains to be seen if he will call up more new players for the national team after having already used more than 30 in the qualification phase.

“Cresswell, Tomkins and Mark Noble, they are good football players who are quite capable of playing for England.But they face competition because luckily enough one or two others have shown they can do quite well over the last few years.It is all about competition and keeping an eye to make sure I am not missing anything,” said Hodgson. West Ham are only two points behind table with Manchester City and they have already taken points against the top teams like Chelsea and City. Continuing this form will be the key for European qualification.