When it comes to playing left-back for England, there are fewer people better qualified to speak with authority than Stuart Pearce. The former Nottingham Forest and Newcastle defender won 78 caps for his country in a 12-year international career.
So, when he offers a verdict on the young stars of today playing in his favoured position, it’s worth taking note. Pearce, who played 52 times for United in a two-year spell at St James’ Park in the late 1990s, has kept a close eye on Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, and feels the Magpies young star can have a big future.
Hall has had a season to remember so far, establishing himself as Eddie Howe’s first-choice left-back and winning his first senior England cap. The 20-year-old came on as a half-time substitute in England’s win in Greece earlier this month, before starting the 5-0 win over the Republic of Ireland a few days later, alongside United team-mates Anthony Gordon and TIno Livramento.
Pearce admits that Manchester United’s Luke Shaw is still probably ahead of Hall in the international pecking order, but feels the youngster can continue to develop under Howe’s watchful eye on Tyneside.
“I still feel as though if everyone’s fit, Luke Shaw is the standout England left back but I’ve got to say, I was at Newcastle a few Saturdays ago and watched them play Arsenal and Lewis dealt with Saka extremely well,” he said.
“I probably knew at that stage he’d be in the England squad as a natural left-sided player. I’ve been barking on about it but I think at left back and right back, we need natural players that are left and right footed.
“I’m not sure it works having a right-footed left back. I’ve seen it many times before and Kieran Trippier’s done it OK, but you’re missing that attacking option in the last third and that’s too critical to miss out.
“I think Lewis has done pretty well coming on the pitch at Greece and I think anybody that plays in the top echelons of the Premier League can handle international football without a problem. He looks like a player that’s improving all the time, he’s working with a top coach in Eddie Howe at Newcastle and he’ll only get better.”
Pearce was speaking at Shefford Sports Ground, home of Shefford Town and Campton, where he helped launch the FA’s ‘Greener Game’ campaign, a bespoke strategy created in collaboration with E.ON and designed to help the environment by promoting sustainability practices within the grassroots game. A prime example of the FA’s commitment to driving decarbonisation at clubs across the country, Shefford Sports Ground boasts solar panels installed to help reduce the club’s energy bills and Pearce reckons such initiatives will only lead to a brighter future for the grassroots game.
“My background was non-league football. I had five and a half years in non-league so these initiatives are very important to me.” Pearce explained. “Anything it can do for the community and for sustainability and a greener world and more importantly for the health of youngsters to take part in a team game is important.
“When I was 16 I left school and I had nowhere to go play football so I got into my local non-league team and that gave me a platform to go into the pro game at the age of 21. It’s vitally important that these initatives are there because without this level of football, you’re not going to get the top end of the game either.
“The pyramid system is so vital and if we turn a blind eye to this level and don’t put the facilities and funding into this level of football, you’re not going to get the top end of the game or the next international. From my local non-league team, I ended up England captain. That’s the power of it.”
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/played-78-times-england-love-30468551
