Stewart Downing is no stranger to the international fold. He is a natural left-winger, and is consistently one of Middlesbrough’s top performers, yet he has failed to make the left flank position for England his own.
Fabio Capello opted to pick Steven Gerrard - who plays centrally for Liverpool, or just behind Fernando Torres - on the left for England’s last friendly against Czech Republic, a fixture that ended two-a-piece.
##3## Gareth Southgate however believes Downing is the wisest choice for that role with the World Cup qualifying matches against Andorra and Croatia looming.
“Stewart deserves his chance in the starting line-up [for England],” Southgate is quoted in the Sun as saying.
“He’d give England natural width and I know the manager thinks a lot of him so, fingers crossed, he gets the chance,” he said.
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