England super-subs primed to ‘start’ against Slovakia – Vardy well placed to dislodge Kane

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LYON, France, June 19, (Agencies): England coach Roy Hodgson will be strongly tempted to start with Jamie Vardy and Daniel Sturridge in attack against Slovakia on Monday after both came off the bench to score in the 2-1 win over Wales.

Former England striker Alan Shearer, now a TV pundit, has led calls for the pair to replace Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling, neither of whom made much impression in the opening 1-1 draw with Russia nor in the first half against Wales.

Kane, the Premier League’s top scorer, had barely touched the ball in the opponents’ penalty area in either game.

Yet it took Vardy just 11 minutes to nab the goal that put England back on level terms, while Sturridge found a way through a crowded penalty area to snatch the winner in stoppage time.

“Yeah, I’d be more than happy with that,” Vardy told reporters on Saturday when asked if he was hopeful of starting. “It’s down to me on the training field to put the extra work in and hopefully dislodge one of the players if I can do.”

A win against Slovakia would seal victory in group B and see England paired with one of the third-placed teams in the round of 16, giving them an excellent chance of advancing further.

A draw or loss could make things significantly harder, depending on how Wales fare against Russia.

England enjoyed the bulk of the possession in each of their first two games and Hodgson has deployed all his strikers, including teenager Marcus Rashford in the second half against Wales.

But they have looked less than impregnable in defence, conceding a late equaliser against Russia and a long-range Gareth Bale free kick that outfoxed keeper Joe Hart in the game against Wales.

Their biggest threat is likely to come from Slovakia’s attacking midfielder Marek Hamsik, who laid on one goal for Vladimir Weiss and scored the other with a curling shot in his team’s 2-1 win against Russia.

Weiss tipped Daniel Sturridge, his former team mate at Manchester City’s academy, as a danger man for England.

“He is an extraordinary player, which can be seen both on the club and national level. On the other hand, all their players are quality. It is necessary to be ready for them all,” he said.

For Slovakia, playing in their first European Championship finals, the stakes in this match are high.

“This is what we wanted, what we came for, to prove something big and that we can be measured next to a team like England,” midfielder Dusan Svento said.

Slovakia forward Vladimir Weiss is backing his country to beat England in their crucial Euro 2016 Group B game.

“We have beaten big teams before and if we play at our best we can beat anyone, even England,” said Weiss.

“The win against Russia gives us a lot of confidence going into the last game.

“We needed a win and we’re very happy that we got it.

“I am sure England have seen our game against Russia and they know we will give it everything to get something from the final game to qualify,” he told the website of Qatar’s World Cup organising committee, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, www.sc.qa.

Weiss currently plays his team football in Qatar with Al-Gharafa.

With the opening goal against Russia, Weiss made history by becoming the first ever player based outside Europe to score at the championships since they were first contested in 1960.

The 26-year-old former Rangers and Manchester City player said he knew was going to hit the net before he shot.

“Once I turned inside the two defenders, I knew I was going to score.

“I was already thinking where I would go to celebrate the goal and I went to my parents.

“I dedicated the goal to my mum, she knew I wasn’t happy after the first game.

“She said my time will come, and it did,” he said.

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