Football
ESPN staff 9y

Ryan Bertrand feels Southampton form warranted England call-up

Ryan Bertrand has expressed confusion at his failure to make the latest England squad despite an impressive start to the season with Southampton.

Bertrand, 25, joined Saints on a season-long loan from Chelsea and has been an important part of the side currently challenging at the top of the Premier League.

However, Roy Hodgson selected Leighton Baines, Kieran Gibbs and Luke Shaw as left-back options for the upcoming games with Slovenia and Scotland.

Bertrand says he is not sure what more he can do to impress Hodgson, who gave him his only two senior caps in 2012, but says he will use the next fortnight to improve his game during training with his club.

"It will be quiet here these next two weeks, but it's a chance for those of us who are left out, like me, to work on things and come back flying again," he said.

Asked if he was disappointed by the snub, he said: "Yeah, very. I've started very well this season, we're second in the league, so I don't know what the criteria is to get in there at the minute."

Saints teammates Nathaniel Clyne and Fraser Forster are both in the England squad, though, and Bertrand said he is "definitely" confident his chance will come if he maintains his form.

He added: "At the end of the day, it's not down to me. I feel like I should have achieved that already, so hopefully it will come."

Information from the Press Association was used in this report

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