From nowhere, how Leon Bailey could become England’s next superstar
It’s fair to say that most international managers will have a good idea of the squads that they will be taking to this summer’s World Cup, give or take a few spots that could be up for grabs. Sometimes, however, a complete curveball is thrown into the mix, and at the weekend there was a potentially significant one as far as England are concerned.
Indeed, reports that Leon Bailey could be tempted by a call-up from the Three Lions should be met with real enthusiasm. The winger, who has only represented Jamaica at Under-23 level, would also qualify for Belgium and Malta but stories in Germany suggest that the winger would be open to turning out for England, and that the Football Association are considering the option to capitalise on the 20-year-old’s eligibility through his British passport-holding grandparents.
The winger has been in sensational form for Bayer Leverkusen this season, shining from the left flank with his direct dribbling and searing pace. His performances have attracted the attention of the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool but the Bundesliga outfit are unsurprisingly keen to deter any interest.
Moreover, his ability to play as a wide forward or even at wing-back - having done so five times this season - would be a godsend to a manager in Gareth Southgate who is known to be tactically flexible, lining up with a back three in preparation for the tournament.
Given England don’t have a wealth of options in terms of offering natural width in attack - Raheem Sterling is the only real winger in the squad when you consider Marcus Rashford prefers to play up front and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in a more central position - the youngster would be a real weapon.
His tallies this season certainly stack up against those of Raheem Sterling, who is enjoying his most productive season in front of goal himself. The Manchester City man has 15 league goals and six assists to his name thus far, and while Bailey’s figures stand at nine and five by comparison, he’s played under three-quarters the number of minutes that the former Liverpool man has accrued.
Moreover, his averages for shots (3.5), key passes (2.4) and dribbles (2.8) per 90 minutes all eclipse those of Sterling, not to mention those further down Southgate’s pecking order. In that sense, if there is truth in the reports that Bailey would welcome the call from England ahead of the World Cup, the Three Lions should be doing everything in their power to ensure that Belgium, in particular, don’t make the first approach.
After all, despite making five of 20 Bundesliga appearances from the bench, Bailey is the fourth highest rated in Germany’s top-flight (7.57) and should be a shoo-in for the squad if the FA can convince him to pledge his allegiance to England’s World Cup cause.
