TIBS EXCLUSIVE – Matt Le Tissier: “Roy Hodgson right to ignore John Terry – but Luke looks a Shaw bet for England.”

Roy Hodgson cannot pick John Terry for England again unless the player comes out and says he’s available for international matches again.

(Read Matt’s blogs at www.goaldengoals.co.uk and play his free goal-prediction game.)

Roy is absolutely right to say that the player is not for consideration because he retired from international football in September 2012.

If Terry hadn’t retired, and if all that stuff with the FA hadn’t gone on, there’s no doubt that the Chelsea captain would have been England’s first choice centre-back.

But those things did happen and, as Roy has said, until Terry comes out and says he’s available for England it just won’t happen.

Managers in the past, I know, have tried to talk players out of international retirement but it doesn’t seem that Roy is that keen to do that.

I’m sure the powers-that-be above him have had a say on the subject and their thoughts have been taken into consideration.

I think the only way a spanner could be thrown into the works is if John Terry came out and said he was available now.

What pleases me is that that Roy is now talking about Luke Shaw at Southampton.

He has hinted that a number of Saints could force their way into his World Cup plans.

So there is every chance Shaw will be selected for the Denmark friendly on March 5.

Roy has been talking positively about the Southampton set-up and that there are so many players there to choose from.

It’s amazing to think the Saints could have four players called up for the World Cup Finals in Brazil this summer.

Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert have established themselves in the England set-up this season with Jay Rodriguez also on the fringes of the squad.

It looks like Ashley Cole is the player who is going to make way for Shaw because he’s not played for Chelsea since late January.

And that makes it difficult for the England manager to pick him.

Luke’s playing consistently well every week and has stolen a bit of a march on Cole and now he deserves his chance.

This photograph was provided by Goalden Goals.