Defoe gets shock England recall
Gareth Southgate sprung several shocks when he named his first England squad since becoming permanent manager, including Jermain Defoe, Jake Livermore and Luke Shaw, as well as four uncapped players.
The 26-man group to face Germany and Lithuania includes Southampton pair James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond, both of whom have played for Southgate at Under-21 level but have yet to feature for the seniors, along with the uncapped Michael Keane and Michail Antonio.
Injuries to Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge and Harry Kane have led to Sunderland's Defoe - last capped in November 2013 - being brought back into the fold at the age of 34.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is the inclusion of West Brom's midfielder Livermore, whose sole cap came in 2012.
In 2015, Livermore tested positive for cocaine and was cleared to return in September that year, less than two weeks after the Football Association took the death of his newborn son as exceptional mitigating circumstances. - PA SPORT
The squad:
- Fraser Forster, Joe Hart, Tom Heaton, Ryan Bertrand, Gary Cahill, Nathaniel Clyne, Phil Jones, Michael Keane, Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling, John Stones, Kyle Walker, Dele Alli, Michail Antonio, Ross Barkley, Eric Dier, Adam Lallana, Jesse Lingard, Jake Livermore, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Nathan Redmond, Raheem Sterling, James Ward-Prowse, Jermain Defoe, Marcus Rashford, Jamie Vardy.
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