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Burnley midfielder Jack Cork has backed Joe Hart to earn a recall with the England national side after impressing during the Premier League opener against Southampton. The former Manchester City man was brought into the squad after early season injuries to both Tom Heaton and Nick Pope and though the former has returned, Hart has now become the first-choice for Sean Dyche.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Cork has praised the impact of Hart since joining them from Manchester City during the summer. The midfielder added to suggest that the shot-stopper could reclaim a national team spot by keeping a consistent run of clean sheets for the Clarets, he said: “A lot of signings we do here have a point to prove and that is what keeps the squad hungry, keen to impress and prove people wrong. That is what drives the club.

England international Harry Kane is looking forward to participating for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League opener against Newcastle United. The 24-year-old has just returned after a stressful World Cup campaign but he does not seem to have plans for an extended rest with the curtain raiser against Newcastle United on his mind.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Kane revealed his ambition to represent Spurs during the opening game versus the Magpies. He added to speak about his goalless streak during the month of August and he is hopeful of changing the trend following his goalscoring exploits at the World Cup, he said: “I'll hopefully be back for the first game and hopefully I can try and score in August this year," he said with a smile.

Germany legend Michael Ballack has reserved praise for Harry Maguire following his strong performances for England at the heart of their defence. The Leicester City defender only made his Three Lions debut in October 2017 but he has since managed to secure a regular starting role, ousting the likes of Gary Cahill and Phil Jones to the bench.

Maguire most-recently netted the opener during the opener during England’s 2-0 win over Sweden and Ballack has now heaped praise on the centre-back for the aggressive nature of his play, he said: “I have to give a special mention to Harry Maguire. His excellent performances are another example of Gareth Southgate's positive coaching.

Tottenham Hotspur defender Kieran Trippier has credited Mauricio Pochettino and Gareth Southgate for making him a better player. The former Burnley man has built up a reputation during his three seasons with Tottenham Hotspur and he is now expected to be a regular for the Three Lions at the summer World Cup.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Trippier acknowledged the efforts of both Pochettino and Southgate in shaping up his career, he said: “Mauricio Pochettino has had a huge influence on my career, but Gareth has too. He has had a massive impact and helped me become a better player. Obviously I am very thankful to him for picking me in the first place. The way we work with England is similar to what I do at Tottenham, but Gareth wants me to be a bit more defensive.”
Trippier has generally played second fiddle to Kyle Walker for the right wing-back spot, but things have changed over the past month with Gareth Southgate deciding to play the latter as part of a central defensive three. As such, Trippier has got the opportunity to make his maiden start at a major competition and it will be interesting to see how he performs at the World Cup.

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp believes Ross Barkley could still have a long-term future with Chelsea, provided he manages to impress the club’s head coach in pre-season. The England international joined the Blues from Everton midway through the campaign but he has since appeared in just three matches owing to his recurrent hamstring troubles.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Redknapp was pleasantly pleased with Barkley’s start in the final game of the season against Newcastle United but feels the Englishman should work harder in pre-season in order to prove his worth to Antonio Conte or the new manager in charge, he said: “Surprise but I’m also pleased (to see him start. I feel for him a little bit, he’s had a lot of injuries this year.

England recorded a 6-1 victory over Panama to book their spot in the Round of 16. The Three Lions were clinical in front as they swept away their rivals ranked 55th in the world, scoring from set-pieces.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that Harry Kane is still feeling the effects of the ankle injury sustained against Bournemouth on March 11. The setback forced the Englishman to miss England’s friendlies during the international break but he has since returned to score three timesin five appearances.

Speaking after the 2-0 win over Watford, Pochettino admitted that Kane has a lingering ankle issue but he does not expect this to hamper his performances at the World Cup, he said: “Yes, of course.It is a mix about different things.

Tottenham Hotspur favourite Glenn Hoddle believes Dele Alli should be able to win back his starting position with England ahead of this summer’s World Cup finals in Russia. The 21-year-old could only find himself as a substitute during the recent run of international friendlies with Gareth Southgate preferring to pick Jesse Lingard ahead of him in the pecking order.

However, Hoddle feels this won’t have a long-term effect on the young attacker, and feels Alli should command a regular role ahead of the likes of Adam Lallana, Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being a bigger threat in front of goal.

England manager Gareth Southgate believes Marcus Rashford has the big-game mentality which makes special from most of his national teammates. The Manchester United forward has been backed to shine in the upcoming friendlies against the Netherlands and Italy, where the Three Lions will be without the services of Harry Kane through an injury.

Speaking in a press conference, Southgate talked about the mentality of the United graduate, who played a significant role for England during the back-end of their World Cup qualifiers. The England boss was also in attendance to watch Rashford score a brace against Liverpool this month, and the 47-year-old feels the youngster is not fazed by the big occasions.

Manchester United legend Roy Keane was critical over the performance of Jack Wilshere following Arsenal's shock Europa League defeat to Ostersund in the round of 16 second-leg. The Gunners had secured a comfortable 3-0 lead from the first-leg, but they made hard meal of their home fixture, though they eventually qualified by a 4-2 aggregate score.

Speaking on ITV, Keane was not impressed with the lack of urgency in the Gunners' play versus Ostersund. The former United ace continued to dub Wilshere as the most 'overrated player on the planet' after he failed to lead by example being the skipper on the night.