Jay Rodriguez misses out on England Under 21 squad

CLARETS striker Jay Rodriguez has missed out on the final 23-man England Under 21 squad for the European Championships in Denmark next month.

The 21-year-old was named in the provisional 40-man pool by Stuart Pearce, along with Jack Cork and Nathan Delfouneso, who were on loan at Turf Moor during the season just gone.

But while Cork and Delfouneso have made the final cut, Rodriguez is one of 17 players not selected ahead of a training camp in Spain, and a final warm-up game against Norway at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium on Sunday, June 5th.

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Pearce has selected four players with senior caps within the group of regular Under 21s who helped secure qualification to England’s third Finals tournament in succession.

Manchester City’s Micah Richards, Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs, Manchester United’s Danny Welbeck and Sunderland’s Jordan Henderson have 16 senior appearances between them.

Also among the 17 players from the long list to miss out are Liverpool forward Andy Carroll and Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere.

The final list will be submitted to UEFA on June 1st before the tournament begins for England on June 12th against Spain in Herning.

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They then meet Ukraine at the same venue on June 15th and finish their Group B fixtures on June 19th against Czech Republic.

The top two teams qualify for the semi-finals.

The forwards named are Delfouneso, Daniel Sturridge of Chelsea, and Connor Wickham of Ipswich.

Along with Carroll and Rodriguez, the strikers left out are Celtic’s Gary Hooper, Freddie Sears of West Ham and Crystal Palace’s James Vaughan, on loan from Everton.

Rodriguez was initially thrilled to receive the recognition of making the 40-man squad: “I’m really chuffed. It’s a massive thing to be linked with England.

“I won’t expect anything. I can’t. But it’s nice to be linked with it.”

Rodriguez made his Under 21 bow in Empoli against Italy in February.”