Man United midfielder is a lively outsider for Euro 2012 call-up
Published:With Paul Scholes’ shock decision to come out of retirement proving a success so far, Ladbrokes offer odds of 10/1 on it leading to his inclusion in England’s Euro 2012 squad.
Little over a month after returning to Manchester United, the veteran midfielder has already started four games and made seven appearances, with their sole defeat in those fixtures coming after he had been subbed away to Liverpool.
The 37-year-old declared himself unavailable for international duty in 2004, citing a wish to prolong his club career, however it was also suggested that he was frustrated at being shunted out wide to accommodate Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.
It was revealed that Fabio Capello made a late attempt to bring him back for the last World Cup, which Scholes turned down because of the short notice, before indicating after the tournament that he regretted snubbing the call.
That implies that the 66-time England star would consider representing the Three Lions again, so it would presumably depend on whether whoever replaces Capello is interested in selecting him in an area where they are fairly well stocked.
Harry Redknapp is the landslide 1/6 favourite to get the nod, and comments from FA chairman David Bernstein on Sunday provided the clearest indication yet that he is their first choice.
He said: “I can understand the hype around Harry. The guy has done amazingly. He is a fine manager and he is English…In a way, you could say this is more suited to an older person than club management where the demands are absolutely incessant.”
Redknapp refuses to be drawn on the subject still and following Tottenham’s 5-0 thrashing of Newcastle is likely to be even more determined to see out the season and discover whether he can guide them to the Premier League title.
As a result, all will probably depend on whether the FA are willing to wait until May to hire their Euro 2012 boss, with Stuart Pearce the most fancied alternative at 4/1 if the answer is no.
