England’s Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce said Dan Gosling is "highly rated in the England set up, and I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a call up when he proves he is over his serious injury".
But today we read in the Chronicle that Steven Taylor’s return to form at Newcastle United hasn’t gone unnoticed – and he could be the man to get the next cap as a Toon player.
The 25-year-old captained Pearce’s Under-21 team, but has never earned a senior international cap.
Taylor was called up once by former coach Steve McClaren in 2007, but a series of injuries over the past two seasons, one of which was spent in the Championship, saw others move ahead of him in the queue.
Bolton Wanderers’s Gary Cahill and Manchester United’s Chris Smalling are now in the international fold, while Phil Jones – who moved to Old Trafford in the summer – was called up into Fabio Capello’s last squad.
However, the door is still open for Taylor, a player Pearce has always rated highly.
Danny Simpson, linked with an England call last season, has also impressed Pearce.
Evening Chronicle: Taylor – who made his 150th league appearance against QPR – hasn’t spoken about his England ambitions of late, having been focused on rediscovering the form after a wretched run of injuries.
In the wake of United’s relegation in 2009, Taylor said he was willing to sacrifice his England chances by dropping into the second tier of English football to help the club back into the Premier League.
“I’m not really thinking about England,” Taylor said at the time.
“The main aim is to do well with Newcastle first, and then see what happens, but it’s always an honour to play for your country.”
NEXT NEWCASTLE UTD MATCH:
ASTON VILLA v TOON
Saturday September 12th KO 8pm
Saturday 17th September 2011
Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal 12:45
Aston Villa v Newcastle United 15:00
Bolton Wanderers v Norwich City 15:00
Everton v Wigan Athletic 15:00
Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion 15:00
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Queens Park Rangers 15:00
Sunday 18th September 2011
Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool 13:30
Fulham v Manchester City 15:00
Sunderland v Stoke City 15:00
Manchester United v Chelsea 16:00
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NEWCASTLE UNITED 20011/12
PREMIER LEAGUE
QPR 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan (Sammy Ameobi 88), Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Best (Marveaux 82), Shola Ameobi (Ba 64).
Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Guthrie, Lovenkrands.
NEWCASTLE 2 FULHAM 1 (Best 2)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands (Ba 62), Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Obertan, Best (Vuckic 78), Vuckic (Smith 85).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Ferguson.
SUNDERLAND 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (R Taylor)
Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Tiote, Cabaye (Williamson 85), Barton, Obertan (Gosling 85), Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi.
Subs Not Used: Harper, Lovenkrands, Ba, Best, Marveaux.
NEWCASTLE 0 ARSENAL 0
Krul, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Simpson, Barton, Cabaye (Lovenkrands 81), Tiote, Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi (Best 73), Ba (Obertan 46).
Subs Not Used: Forster, Williamson, Gosling, Sammy Ameobi.
CARLING CUP
SCUNTHORPE 1 NEWCASTLE 2 AET (R Taylor, Sammy Ameobi)
Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson (Steven Taylor 45), Ryan Taylor, Marveaux, Gosling (Vuckic 70), Cabaye, Lovenkrands, Best, Ba (Sammy Ameobi 65).
Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Abeid, Smith, Ferguson.
PRE-SEASON FIXTURES
NEWCASTLE 0 FIORENTINA 0
(Ab 63 mins)
Krul (Forster 46), Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Gosling (Ba 46), Cabaye, Vuckic, Jonas (Marveaux 46) Lovenkrands (R Taylor 61), Best (Shola Ameobi 46).Subs: Sammy Ameobi, Ranger, Tavernier, Williamson.
LEEDS UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 2 (S.Taylor, Vuckic)
Forster, Cabaye, Williamson, Barton, Simpson, Gosling, Gutierrez, Ba, Shola Ameobi, Taylor, Tavernier. Subs: Krul, Taylor, Best, Vuckic, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett.
COLUMBUS CREW 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ameobi, Coloccini, Vuckic)
Harper; Tavernier, S Taylor, Coloccini (Dummett, 54), Enrique; Gutierrez (Abeid, 85), Tiote (Smith, 62), Gosling, Marveaux (Vuckic, 76); Ameobi (Best, 75), Ba. Subs not used: Forster, Krul.
ORLANDO CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 0
Forster; R Taylor (Enrique, 26), S Taylor, Coloccini, Tavernier; Gosling (Vuckic, 71), Smith (Abeid, 74), Tiote, Gutierrez; Best (Ba, 74), Lovenkrands (Ameobi, 74). Subs not used: Krul, Harper.
SPORTING KANSAS 0 NEWCASTLE 0
Krul, Gosling, Coloccini, S Taylor, R Taylor, Marveaux (Tavernier 46), Tiote (Abeid 46), Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Ba (Best 72), Lovenkrands (Smith 46).
DARLINGTON 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Barton, Sammy Ameobi)
Forster; Simpson (Dummett), S Taylor (Tavernier), Williamson (Henderson), Ferguson (R Taylor); Barton (Abeid), Guthrie (Cabaye, Donaldson), Smith (Gosling), Vuckic (Sammy Ameobi); Ben Arfa (Richardson), Best (Ranger). Subs not used: Soderberg, Newton.