INTERVIEW

Saturday, October 2, 8:25am London Time
England Wise up
By Ken Dyer


Dennis Wise was today rewarded for a consistent start to the season as Chelsea captain when he was included in the England squad for the friendly international against Belgium at Sunderland on Sunday week, 10 October.

Wise has proved himself one of the most effective midfield players of his type in recent seasons but his poor disciplinary record may have worked against him in the past.

The 32-year-old Chelsea skipper has tried hard to curb his temper in recent months, however, and his tackle on a Kurdish demonstrator during Tuesday night's Champions League encounter against Galatasaray did him no harm. He was last involved with England against Hungary in 1996 and has won 12 caps.

Wise's Chelsea team-mate Chris Sutton is also included, as are West Ham pair Frank Lampard and Trevor Sinclair. There is also a place for Leicester's Steve Guppy, who was bought and later sold by Keegan when he was manager at Newcastle.

'I'm delighted to be in the full squad,' said Lampard, who has been a regular captain of the Under-21s. 'People have said I should have been in before but I just kept plugging away and hoping for the best. Now I have the opportunity to show what I can do with the senior squad over the next week. This is a marvellous opportunity and I intend to take it.'

Sinclair's inclusion for the first time in an England senior squad is more of a surprise although he has been a consistent performer in the wing-back role for West Ham.

Keegan has named a 25-man squad for the friendly at the Stadium of Light.

Arsenal have four players included - David Seaman, now fit again following a calf injury, Tony Adams, Martin Keown and Ray Parlour, while there is a recall for Middlesbrough's Paul Ince.

Robbie Fowler is also missing as he needs an ankle operation.

THE SQUAD
Seaman (Arsenal), Martyn (Leeds), Wright (Ipswich), Gray (Sunderland), P Neville (Man Utd), Le Saux (Chelsea), Adams (Arsenal), Keown (Arsenal), Southgate (Villa), Woodgate (Leeds), Guppy (Leicester), Sinclair (West Ham), Dyer (Newcastle), Lampard (West Ham), Beckham (Man Utd), Parlour (Arsenal), Ince (Middlesbrough), Redknapp (Liverpool), Wise (Chelsea), Scholes (Man Utd), Shearer (Newcastle), Owen (Liverpool), Heskey (Leicester), Phillips (Sunderland), Sutton (Chelsea).