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ESPN staff 8y

Ryan Bertand hopes to secure England's 'up for grabs' left-back role

Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand has set his sights on permanently securing England's left-back spot.

England boss Roy Hodgson named Bertrand to his squad for this month's Euro 2016 qualifiers against Estonia and Lithuania, just a few short months after the 26-year-old had surgery on both knees this summer.

"It's good to be back [in the England squad] but I can't go rushing up and down like a madman just yet," Bertrand told the Guardian. "But as each game goes by I get fitter and fitter and hopefully get back up to where I was last year and crack on from there."

With Luke Shaw sidelined by a broken leg for at least the next six months, Bertrand says the role of England's left-back in France next summer is "up for grabs."

"It's always a pleasure to be called up for your country. It's on everyone's minds, especially with the Euros coming up," he said.

"Everyone will be going there vying for a place and looking to cement their place for the summer. The left-back place is certainly up for grabs.

"Even with everyone fit, to be honest, no one's nailed it down. It's about who really goes in there and grabs it by the scruff of the neck and makes it their own. Hopefully it can be me."

Everton's Leighton Baines is likely to provide the greatest competition for Bertrand at left-back, but after a string of strong performances -- including in Southampton's 3-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday -- Saints manager Ronald Koeman is confident his player will prove himself on the international stage.

"He can be the best, but he's still young and still has to improve," the Southampton manager said. "But after you are three months out, don't have good preseason and are still impressive, that's is very good.

"He's defending well and offensively very strong; good cross, good passing. I like that kind of full-back."

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