Hodgson Calls on Veteran Midfielder for Sweden Friendly
Also, ex-Everton striker Michael Branch has been sentenced to seven years in prison
Everton midfielder Leon Osman has been called up to the England squad by Roy Hodgson and will be available for selection for the international friendly against Sweden next week. He joins club mates Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka in the squad.
The 31 year old was a surprise inclusion in the Three Lions' squad given his age. However, he does bring a wealth of experience with him, having made 257 appearances for the Goodison Park club since debuting in 2005.
"He is a player that I have admired since coming back to Fulham five years ago... has always done extremely well... whenever I have played Everton or watched Everton his performances have been really good. He faces stiff competition in that part of the field where he plays, but on this occasion we have got the opportunity to bring Leon in and meet him and work with him and see how he fits in with what we are trying to do at international level," the England manager explained.
The English national team has dropped one place to sixth in the recently released Fifa World Rankings, with Euro 2012 runners-up Italy replacing Hodgson's men in the top five.
Everton Player Jailed
Meanwhile, Ex-Everton striker Michael Branch has been sentenced to seven years in prison by the Chester Crown Court after he pled guilty to selling drugs. The 34 year old retired from professional football in 2010, after playing for Manchester City and Birmingham, in addition to the Toffees.
Branch was found to have sold more than 3kg of amphetamine to an unidentified man in a car park in Liverpool and was also charged with dealing in cocaine; 1kg of pure cocaine was found in his residence in Otterspool on 10 July.
"This was significant criminality committed by someone who would once have been viewed as a role model. The message here is that entering the illegal drugs trade is a route to prison, not to financial gain and a celebrity lifestyle," the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), who led the prosecution, said after the sentence was passed.
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