England head coach Roy Hodgson has chosen to defend midfielder Tom Cleverley after an online petition was set up calling for the Manchester United player to be banned from selection for the World Cup squad. The petition has gained momentum though, gathering over ten thousand signatures from English football fans. Hodgson has included Cleverley in his squad for the friendly match against Denmark and said: "It doesn't impress me. He deserves to be in this 30-man group. He's done an awful lot of good."
Cleverley has played on a regular basis for a struggling Manchester United side, currently sitting seventh in the Premier League table. But Hodgson said: "I don't think it's correct people should single out one player for Manchester United's lack of success this season. I would like to think that I'm not going to have the England team selected in the future by petitions from various people who are holding it against one person for a team's lack of success. You can't expect a football coach to have any sympathy with it."
Hodgson has made it clear though that he can offer no guarantees the midfielder will make the 23-man squad for the World Cup finals in Brazil. "Whether he'll make the 23 or not will of course depend on a lot of things, not least of all how he does in the next couple of months. But that doesn't just apply to Tom Cleverley, that applies to a good many players. I'm disappointed that Tom, as a sensitive young man, has got to bear that burden. But I know one thing... he will come through it and when he does come through it and Manchester United start winning again and he's starting to get praise for his performances, he'll be stronger for it."
If you're willing to bet on this, Tom Cleverley is 5/4 at Bet365 to make England's World Cup squad.
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